Lydia Dirks has been an artist ever since she could pick up a pencil, she says.
“I see art everywhere and I’m constantly thinking, ‘That would be so cool to paint!’ Or, “That person has a cool nose. I should draw that nose,’” Dirks said. “That may be a little weird but those are some common thoughts when you love art. I get excited to create art for my Unangax̂ community.”
Dirks works under the name Chagix̂ Cheek Designs as a multimedia artist, creating primarily digital art. Chagix̂ means halibut in Unangam Tunuu.
“I get excited about so many artsy things. I get excited talking about art with other creators that understand the vision. I get excited about color palettes and good flow,” Dirks said.
She works with watercolor, acrylic paint, pen and ink, and digital artwork via Procreate. Every once in a while, Dirks says that she dabbles in beading.
Artistry runs in her family.
“Both of my parents are multimedia artists,” she said. “My dad survived off of his art and it was always encouraged in our household. I started doing art professionally in 2020. I became very passionate about it in 2019 after my dad passed away from cancer. I used art as a way to cope with his death.”
Inspired by the land and sea, Dirks draws inspiration from growing up in southwest Alaska. She incorporates Unangam Tunuu into her work; “Tuman alaĝux̂ agliisaax̂tan,” which translates to “take care of the ocean.”
“The support from my community is amazing,” she said. “I constantly feel loved. Sometimes I’m so used to looking at my own work and it’s pretty cool to see others get excited over it.”
She doesn’t shy away from bright colors, and incorporates wildlife into many of her pieces, including puffins, salmon, northern fur seals and sea otters.
“Sko do some art den,” Dirks said.
Sam Davenport is a writer residing in Anchorage. She's a leo and a plant-person, and loves spending quality time with her dog, Aspen. She is a Real Housewives fan and has been called a Bravo historian.
