I was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, then moved to The Black Hills, which have always been a special place to me, as well as my people. That’s where I started doing art; I was around around five or six years old. I would trace pictures and then say they’re my own. Eventually, as I aged and progressed, I no longer had to trace pictures, and what I was drawing really was my own. From Rapid City, I kind of went back and forth from Standing Rock to Fort Yates. I went on to attend art school at The Arts Institutes International Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Your artwork has some dark themes. What influences that?
The pieces here are, yes. It felt as though creating these pieces and putting them on display also felt like ridding myself of darkness and past trauma(s). I also grew up in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. I watched a ton of horror and sci-fi movies. I’ve also always just been interested in the macabre side of things. Everyone and thing has a light and a dark side, right? I’ve always been interested in that.
Is there anything you hope people feel when looking at your art?
I honestly just hope they feel something, whether they’re scared or intrigued. I think all art is different and makes us feel something. As long as they feel something.
The pieces you have displayed at The Capital Gallery all have quite a bit of texture. Can you talk about that?
This is the first time I’ve painted on canvas. The only other time I’ve painted, it was on my walls while living in Houston. I tried doing the whole “flat texture” thing, and that just wasn’t doing it for me, so when I started to add texture, that’s when I felt my pieces started coming to life.
Which other artists are your biggest influences?
I’ve been obsessed with Francisco Goya since art school, and I suppose H.R. Giger.
What kind of artwork do you personally like to collect for your own home?
I don’t really consider myself a collector, because I’ve usually just made my own (art). I think it’s nice having other people’s pieces in your house. It kind of grounds me.
Anything you’re currently working on? What’s next?
Now that I’ve shown these, it’s nice, because I feel like now that these pieces are out there, I can move on to the next. I can move on to different styles and ideas.