Dyani White Hawk

Dyani White Hawk is a multidisciplinary artist who combines the visual lexicon and materials characteristic of both Lakota abstraction and traditional easel painting abstraction, drawing upon her personal life narratives. In navigating her dual heritage of Lakota and European-American origins, White Hawk explores the intersections, parallels, and occasional disparities between the values of these two cultures. She draws deeply from the legacy of Lakota women who have historically delved into abstract artistry, spanning mediums such as paint, beadwork, and porcupine quillwork. She challenges prevailing hierarchies and underscores the need for genuine recognition of Indigenous and female contributions. Collaboratively created, her canvases fuse elements of her heritage, reflecting on the amalgamation of varied artistic traditions and cultures that have jointly shaped the course of abstraction in the Americas. White Hawk's multimedia pieces utilize meticulous techniques like loomed lane and flat stitch beadwork, masterfully incorporated onto canvases adorned with acrylics and oils. The colors she employs resonate with nature, drawing references to elements such as porcupine quills, glass beads, metals, and minerals.