Heidi K. Brandow (Native Hawaiian/Diné) created the mural painting Unit of Measure in IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts’ (MoCNA) first floor Hallway and Honors Galleries. Brandow is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work is filled with whimsical characters that are often combined with poetry, stories, and personal reflections. She hails from a long line of Native Hawaiian singers, musicians, and performers on her mother’s side—and Diné storytellers and medicine people on her father’s side. Inspired by everyday life, Brandow’s work concerns discovering, defining, and constantly redefining personal identity by questioning authority and deconstructing mainstream assumptions of Native Americans.

Brandow explains, “Unit of Measure can be considered a transitory impression that playfully acknowledges the intricacies, complications, and the unknown as components of personal identity.”