Lakota and Western Art History bring together in Dyani White Hawk’s vibrant work – Huge
Throughout history, those with the greatest power or resources are often those stories that represent in textbooks, passed down to our collective consciousness for generations. Without intentional efforts, it is difficult to hear a narrative.
In art history, reality is the same. Canon always had privileged white male artists, from Renaissance Titans like Michelangelo to bad boy American modernists like Jackson Pollock. For example, as the U.S. government expanded westward, the belief in the foundations of 19th-century American landscape painting and the obvious destiny was incredible. Western painting and sculpture have historically ruled the supreme in market-driven galleries and auction houses. But what about the incredible breadth of the form that has long been overlooked (i.e., Indigenous people)?
For SičáŋǧuLakota artist Dyani White Hawk, the construction of American art history is at the heart of her multidisciplinary practice. “She unveiled the long-standing exclusive hierarchy of managing cultural legitimacy, authority, value and visibility,” said a joint statement from the Alexander Gray Associates and Bockley Gallery. “From this perspective, the Whitehawks re-formed the abstraction of Indigenous art and the West as an inseparable approach, which is related to the shared history, the dominant narrative effort being separated and obscure.”
Pablo Picasso’s statement is: “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” If it weren’t for his obsession with African masks, such as “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” and other paintings created in the early 1900s would not exist. The White Eagle drew similar similarities between the 20th-century color field and the minimalist movement to highlight the influence of Native American art forms in the evolution of these styles. She prompts viewers to consider how these ideas shape our aesthetic concepts and judgments, while also considering the role of cultural memory and community.
White Eagle’s works cover painting, sculpture, photography, performance and installation. In addition to oil and acrylic paint, she also combines materials commonly used in Lakota art forms such as beads, porcupine quills and bucks.
“I strive to create honest, inclusive works that draw a wide range of experiences from my life experiences,” White Eagle said in a statement. “This allows me to start at the center and deepen my understanding of self and cultural complexity, the correlation between personal and national history, and the history of Indigenous and mainstream art.”
The labor of meditation and incredible attention to the details required to create traditional Lakota artworks (from carefully beaded costumes to abstract deer-skin paintings) – The White Eagle creates a bold and confrontational vibrant installation. The gallery says the vibrant geometric patterns are direct and visceral to “disturb Europe with categories of European art history.”
White Eagle noted that her mixed media mapped “the importance of Lakota women and indigenous artists’ contribution to the art history of our nation… and the way in which indigenous artists helped shape the evolution of work-inspired Western artists.”
The “nurturing” installation spans nearly 31 feet and is 14.5 feet tall, including thousands of handmade ceramic tiles that visually reference Lakota beads and Quillwork. The work is permanently installed at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and has a dialogue with the history of American modernism through painters such as Marsden Hartley and Pollock, who are considered pioneers of American abstraction but are underinfluenced by Native American art.
“Essentially, White Eagle’s practice is maintained by the respect of ancestors and guided by the value system, which will relate and care for all life’s concerns,” the gallery said. “By addressing inequality that affects indigenous communities, she creates opportunities for cross-cultural connections and prompts critical examination of how art and national history are established. Her work invites viewers to evaluate the current social value system and its ability to support fair futures.”
Minneapolis-based Bockley Gallery represents the White Eagle for more than a decade, recently announced a representation of the artist with Alexander Gray Associates of New York City, who will hold a solo exhibition in the fall of 2026. If you are in Minneapolis, in Minneapolis, Love language Opened on October 18 at the Walker Art Center and will last until February 15. The show then heads to Rey Hyundai in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which will be in Remai Modern, Saskatchewan from April 25 to September 27, 2026.
