In contemporary Native American art, the human figure often emerges as a compelling symbol, embodying themes of identity, tradition, and resilience. Curator and exhibiting artist, Del Curfman shows how Native artists navigate intricate histories, confront stereotypes, and assert cultural sovereignty. The figure serves as a dynamic medium for storytelling, personal expression, and the reclamation of narratives marginalized or distorted by colonization. Carl Beam masterfully integrates traditional Native themes with modern media, often through assemblage. Rick Bartow’s figures are frequently animal-human hybrids, while Earl Biss captivates audiences with his bold, abstract paintings. Del Curfman and Frank Buffalo Hyde use pop culture and appropriated Native imagery to reclaim and redefine identity. Wendy Red Star’s photographic series offers a reimagining of key historical moments in Crow Nation history, blending humor and critique. Artists like Danielle SeeWalker and Neal Ambrose Smith expand the conversation by incorporating mixed media and sculptural elements to amplify Native voices.
Earl Biss’s Feathered Warriors in Big Sky Country features vibrant, abstract depictions of Native American figures set against a sweeping, expansive sky. Bold, energetic brushstrokes and vivid colors evoke motion and strength, while the feathered headdresses symbolize cultural heritage, blending tradition with contemporary artistry to celebrate Native American identity.
Danielle SeeWalker’s process blends mixed media techniques to explore Native identity, history, and the complexities of contemporary Indigenous life. Her practice often involves layering images, abstraction, text, and symbols, weaving together personal and cultural narratives. SeeWalker incorporates elements of storytelling, gender roles, and Indigenous perspectives to create works that are both visually striking and conceptually rich. Through her art, she addresses themes of memory, cultural preservation, and the intersection of past and present. SeeWalker creates a bridge between generations, allowing Native voices to be seen and heard in new and powerful ways.
Wendy Red Star’s 1880 Crow Peace Delegation is a poignant and thought-provoking photographic series that reimagines a historical moment in Crow Nation history. The work references a photograph of a delegation of Crow leaders who traveled to Washington, D.C. in 1880 to negotiate peace with the U.S. government. Red Star explores the tension between traditional Indigenous life and colonial history, reflecting on issues of cultural representation, identity, and the complexities of Native American experiences. The work is both a tribute to her ancestors and a critical commentary on the erasure of Indigenous voices in mainstream historical narratives.
Carl Beam was a groundbreaking Native Canadian artist of the Ojibwe tribe, known for blending Indigenous themes with contemporary art. His mixed-media works often challenged colonial narratives, exploring identity, history, and cultural memory. His process blended traditional Native themes with contemporary media, using mixed techniques like painting, photography, and assemblage. His works often incorporated found objects and symbolic imagery to challenge colonial narratives and explore identity. Beam is a significant figure in Native art history, bridging cultural heritage with modern artistic expression.
Frank Buffalo Hyde’s Epochs American Idol is a vibrant, contemporary reinterpretation of Native identity, blending traditional iconography with modern pop culture. The painting features a Native figures against symbols of modern culture and television, reflecting the tension between cultural heritage and the influence of mass media on Native representation.
Rick Bartow’s artistic practice was deeply rooted in his Native American heritage, drawing on Wiyot traditions, personal experience, and spirituality. His work spans painting, sculpture, and drawing, often featuring expressive, exaggerated forms that explore themes of transformation, identity, and the supernatural. Bartow’s figures are frequently animal-human hybrids, symbolizing the fluidity between the physical and spiritual realms. In Ceremony Dance, Bartow depicts a dynamic, almost chaotic figure engaged in ritualistic movement, embodying the intensity and spirituality. This work highlights Bartow’s mastery of blending abstraction with symbolic storytelling, creating an emotional and spiritual connection with the viewer.
Neal Ambrose Smith’s, a Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes descendent, sculpture Words Come Out of My Mouth but Keep Refilling My Ears is a thought-provoking piece that explores the complexities of communication, perception, and identity. The sculpture features a figure with exaggerated forms, symbolizing the tension between speaking and listening, and the often-overlooked power of words. The work combines elements of abstraction and figurative representation, with bold forms and textures that suggest the interplay between internal and external voices. Smith’s piece speaks to the cycles of knowledge and miscommunication, reflecting the ongoing dialogue between Indigenous identity, cultural survival, and contemporary realities. It invites viewers to reflect on the dynamics of storytelling and how messages are received, reinterpreted, and transformed.
Smith’s artwork Walter Redglare is a striking portrait that blends traditional Indigenous themes with contemporary artistic expression. The piece features a stylized, larger-than-life figure, rendered in bold colors and graphic forms. Smith uses his signature approach of combining abstraction and bold color palettes with intricate patterns to evoke both a sense of reverence and modernity. The work plays with representation, shifting the viewer’s understanding of Native identity from a historical context to a present-day sensibility. Through this painting, Smith questions contemporary Indigenous roles in art and society.
Del Curfman’s Tobacco Testimony is a striking and symbolic painting that explores the sacred role of tobacco in Native American culture. In this piece, Curfman uses the contemporary Native figure to convey the spiritual and cultural significance of tobacco as a gift from the Creator. The composition features bold colors and appropriated Native imagery, evoking a sense of reclamation. Through layered symbolism, Tobacco Testimony speaks to the role of tobacco in Native ceremonies and its connection to the natural world, while also addressing themes of cultural survival and the importance of preserving sacred traditions.
