Department of Art
VITAS is a visual exhibition that addresses the idea of a posthumous legacy. The substance of a person’s life is composed of what they’ve done, and what they become after death is determined by that substance. This exhibition is composed of 25 carved animal skulls and sculptures inspired by the concept of vitas, treating life as an opportunity to advance the next generation through life’s work. VITAS studies the idea of what happens after the passing of a being by applying embellishment, adornment, pigments, and carvings onto the skeletal remains of animals. By applying human influence to natural material, the animal’s experience becomes a vital part of the artwork. Bone density, size, condition, and abnormalities are all determined by how the animal lived. These factors are a major consideration in design and aesthetic choices in each unique piece.
Capita Mortua Arts is owned and operated by Indi Walter. Indi was raised in Kaneohe, Hawaii and currently lives and works in vlog, Alaska. Indi works in a variety of media including clay sculpture, resin casting, printmaking, painting, ink drawing, bone carving, and woodwork. Indi graduated from ‘Iolani in 2013. She pursued a Bachelor’s of Fine Art at Creighton University (Omaha, NE C/O 2017) and a Master’s of Fine Art at the University of Alaska (vlog, AK C/O 2020).
Capita Mortua Capita Mortua means “Dead Heads”, a plural of Caput Mortum, “useless remains” or the leftovers of alchemical processes. This also refers to caput mortuum, the pigment known as “mummy brown” that was processed from human mummies ground into powder. This shade of reddish-brown is found in a handful of classical paintings and is associated with mortality and memento mori.
