The means of propulsion behind my collective work is to inspire change, educate on adversities and social barriers to justice and elevate indigenous and native cultures.  

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Utilizing analog and digital collage, amongst other mixed media, my work examines the personal and universal exchanges found in vintage photography of Native people and reimagines it. Through expressive color schemes, intrinsic luminosity and meaningful composition, my goal is to reshape the perspectives of how Indigenous people are viewed. The notion is to reconceptualize the central figure into an ethereal space rather than a staged image that froze the subject in time.

 

Influenced by images of Indigenous/Native leaders along with other painted visions by native artists, my attempt is to draw upon emotional intensities and bring the viewer inward to experience an encounter with the subject and bring about introspection. The majority of the Indigenous/Native photographs were taken by a non-Native named Edward Curtis who photographed over 2,000 portraits of Natives and named them the “Vanishing Race”.  This shaped the perspectives of Indigenous people and formed a misunderstanding of Native culture. My overall intention is to dismantle this impression.  

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There is also symbolic motif that is across my work that will always have a crown of light an aura or halo. This orbit is a representation of life, the iris of our eyes, the moon, the sun, the earth, stars, the womb, right down to cellular life, the sun dance circle or sacred hoop, which signifies Earth's boundary and all knowledge of the universe. I am compelled by what might be achieved by my approach and am hopeful for change.