I’m an Indigenous artist who loves creating so I can tell a story that’s been told for centuries. We are still here! I want to represent Us.
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
My favorite type of art to make is screen prints. I screen print on clothing, and my favorite canvas is the t-shirt. My ancestors before me painted on hide in which they’d wear for clothing, so this is my modern way to continue that tradition. This art form grounds me in my heritage and allows me to share our stories as they did for 1000s of years.
Where do you find inspiration?I find inspiration in my homelands, our history, and my bloodline. I come from the Fort Berthold Reservation, home to the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations. Our culture has a rich history waiting to be shared with the world. One of heartbreak and resilience. I also am very inspired by Hip-Hop and pop culture. Finding an escape from the reservation life through music and fashion helped build my own identity.
What would you do with $25,000?If I was honored with the $25,000 I would do an event back home on the reservation, teaching people how to screen print and allow them to take their self-printed art works home free of charge. After that, I would find a studio to use so I can start printing outside of my garage. This $25,000 would help me pursue my goal of blending streetwear with culture and heritage. Indigenous peoples deserve to take up these creative spaces and tell their stories, and with this money I could do that.
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