Think about a famous piece of art. Where did it come from? Many works of art came from France or Italy. There are great American artists too. But what about Native American art? You likely haven’t seen much. Artist Jeffrey Gibson knows that. He says there is a “lack of ” of Native American art.
Gibson is Native American. His father came from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. “His mother is Cherokee, from Oklahoma. “I’ve always known who I am,” Gibson explained. But he said his cultures “don’t exist in popular culture.” Gibson called that “problematic.”
Art can teach Native American histories. That includes the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Those people have an ancient past. Their lived before Christopher Columbus sailed to North America. They built giant mounds. Some of those earthworks still stand.
Gibson made a giant mound too. It stands 21 feet (6 m) tall. People can explore inside. Indigenous artists performed on top. Words cover the sides. One says: “RESPECT INDIGENOUS LAND.”
“All land is indigenous to somebody,” explained Gibson. “There are Indigenous people all around the world,” he explained. To Gibson, respecting land means taking care of it. Added the artist: “We’re all on the same planet.”
Gibson makes more than mounds. He creates paintings, sculptures, and videos. “Some of the pieces are wearable,” said Gibson. Yet his mixed-media work has a style. “I use a lot of color,” said Gibson. “I use a lot of patterns.” Many of the artist’s pieces have words. One says “LAND SPIRIT POWER.”
Gibson has worked for years to create change through art. It hasn’t been easy. “Real change takes a really long time,” he admitted. “It’s a lot of work.”
Gibson’s art shows his culture. But he believes anyone can connect to it. As he explained: “I hope my work creates a space for other people to acknowledge their own threads that make them up.”
Updated October 31, 2022, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
