Join the IAIA Artist-in-Residence (A-i-R) artists Ian Ian Kuali’i, Meghann O’Brien, and Monte Yellow Bird, Sr. for dinner in the Academic Building on the IAIA campus from 5:00-5:45 pm, followed by tours of the artists’ studio spaces from 5:45-7:00 pm.

Free and open to the public.

Monte Yellow Bird, Sr.

March 24–April 26, 2018

Monte Yellow Bird, Sr. is a member of the Arikara/Hidatsa nations and better known in the art world as Black Pinto Horse. He is devoted to a positive expression of the harmonic balance between humanity and nature. A descendant of prominent Arikara and Hidatsa chiefs, Son of the Star and Youngbird, he is driven by the importance to maintain, educate, and share the traditions and memories of family visually through mixed media and ledger art.

Black Pinto Horse is best known for Ledger Art or Warrior Art, a historic, transitional expression from the 1800’s demonstrated by Northern and Southern Plains tribes. As a child, he was first influenced by the family’s first black-and-white TV, drawing images of the Vietnam War.

An IAIA Alumni in the late 70’s High School program, he went on to attend NDSU, majoring in History Education and receiving his BFA from Minot State University. In addition to academic studies, Black Pinto Horse has invested over 35 years to youth and communities across the country from public art projects, classroom teaching, mentoring, and martial arts instruction.

In 2017, Black Pinto Horse traveled to Abu Dhabi, chosen as Master Artist at the Art Hub. He has won multiple awards at major markets such as Autry Museum in Los Angeles, Heard Museum in Phoenix, SWAIA in Santa Fe, and the Eiteljorg in Indianapolis. In August 2014, he was awarded the SWAIA Residency Fellowship in Santa Fe.

Ian Kuali’i

March 24–April 26, 2018

Ian Kuali’i (Native Hawaiian/Apache) is a full-time multi-disciplinary artist born in Orange County, California, raised on Maui, Hawaii. He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. The cultural revolution of Hip Hop initially influenced Kuali’i’s style and subject matter and eventually he moved New York City where he began his East Coast pilgrimage to the roots of the graffiti art movement. In time, he connected with legendary graffiti artists such as, Mare139 and Doze Green, under whom he served as an apprentice for seven years. Kuali’i developed his artistic style under Doze Green’s mentorship.

While trying to simplify his technique as a graffiti writer, Kuali’i discovered stenciling and realized that he appreciated the “cut” more than the spray, thus finding his preferred medium—hand-cut paper. He describes his creative practice as “the meditative process of destroying to create.” His portraits, journal entries, and scenes are carefully rendered from a single sheet of paper using only an exacto knife. His work is a balance between the rough and the delicate, exploring ideas of modern progress, biodiversity, and the foundation of personal history. He has been working on fine-tuning his direct cut method on large-scale public mural work and also experimenting with new technology such as laser cutting and 3D printing. Kuali’i is working to incorporate Hawaiian traditional arts, such as tapa-making, as part of his art practice, creating a hybrid of traditional and contemporary.

Kuali’i has created one-of-a-kind, site-specific art pieces for events and programs at Honor the Earth, Wall\Therapy, UrbanArt Biennale 2017, Universal Pictures, deYoung Museum, National Museum of Mexican Art, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Friends of Miami Marine Stadium.

Meghann O’Brien

March 7–May 1, 2018

Meghann O’Brien (Cape Mudge/ Kiusta/Haida Gwaii/Irish) is a Northwest Coast weaver working in the traditions of basketry, Yeil Koowu (Raven’s Tail) and Naaxiin (Chilkat) textiles. She is descended from the Kwakwaka’wakw village of Weḵaʼyi Tʼsakwaʼlutan (Cape Mudge), the village of Kiusta, Haida Gwaii, and Dublin, Ireland. Her name in the Kwakwala language is Kwaxhi’laga—“Smoke Coming Out of the Top of the Big House, Welcoming People to Feast and Potlatch.” In the Haida language she carries the name of her maternal great grandmother Ruby Simeon, Jaad Kuujus—“Dear Woman.” O’Brien has apprenticed under master weavers and traditional teachers Kerri Dick, Sherri Dick, and William White. Her artistic process is one of devotion to the highest expression of the art form, preferring to allow the weaving to find its own place in the world once completed. Her work is distributed between public and private galleries, museums, collectors, family, chiefs, dancers, and ceremonial people. She travels globally to lecture and demonstrate.