About Coral

Coral Chernof has been creating art for over 20 years. She is the daughter of Arlene Skinner and Alan Chernoff of Kodiak. She was born in Seattle, where her family moved following the devastation of the Great Alaska Earthquake. She has spent the majority of her life living in Kodiak where she now resides.

Coral works in many mediums. In addition to weaving, she enjoys ivory and wood carving, and working with moose sinew and beads. She is particularly drawn to the beauty of natural materials and much of her artwork highlights the qualities of the wood and fiber she uses. Coral is inspired by Alutiiq designs and manufacturing techniques. Making small items like carving a wood stopper to use in curing a seal intestine is part of the art process she loves. She files her natural products in a file cabinet. Not your normal office. In her interview, Coral explains the inspiration and construction of a series of dolls. Each doll is made from scratch. The fisherman doll to the right is made out of the recycled “Grundens” bibs and boot material from her son who is a crab fisherman. The face is fashioned from deer hide with facial features and accented with earrings. The hair is beaver hair styled boldly.