New work by Jesse Raine Littlebird whose exhibition opens May 3 at El Zaguán in Santa Fe. Courtesy/HSFF
HSFF News:
Historic Santa Fe Foundation (HSFF) will present an exhibition of new works by Jesse Raine Littlebird. Arrivals will open 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 3 at El Zaguán, 545 Canyon Road, Suite 2 in Santa Fe.
Jesse Raine Littlebird presents a collection of works on canvas and paper made during the spring of 2024. Inspired by stories traditionally told during the winter story months as well as the N. Scott Momaday book House Made of Dawn, Littlebird invites the community to his second exhibition of 2024 adding to the next chapter in his latest series of work titled Promisedland®️.
Littlebird says this about his art, “My work is inspired by teachings, prophecies, and stories that are commonplace among my people. It presents the viewer with a unification of Southwestern landscapes, Indigenous cosmologies, and their historicization. My true allegiance lies solely in acknowledging the significance of my birth until my eventual passing. My work is a detournement of various elements from Western and Indigenous thought and histories, provoking critical reflection and serving as a testament to the enduring spirit of Indigenous cultural realities. The paintings serve as storytellers, capturing narratives that can be discovered by those who truly listen and engage with the artwork. Each piece is a field for Intricately intertwined symbolic representations that draw direct inspiration from the timeless cultural traditions found within the lands my people have inhabited since long before the settler colonial and will exist long after its passing.”
Littlebird (Laguna/Kewa Pueblos) is a New Mexico based artist, painter, writer and film director with a passion for telling stories that inspire personal and community action. Storytelling through the medium of painting and film is a vital part of life for Jesse with his Indigenous heritage deeply rooted in the oral tradition culture of his Pueblo Indian lineage and growing up in a creative household filled with art, film and history. He is a program director at Hamaatsa, an Indigenous learning continuum nonprofit, an Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Art grant recipient and a Sundance Institute Full Circle Fellow.
To learn more about Littlebird, visit his website.
Contact Education Programs & Publications Manager Hanna Churchwell at hanna@historicsantafe.org or call 505.983.2567 for more information.