Indigenous Women's Atelier
Discover artworks by female indigenous artists highlighting their culture and voices to provide accurate representations of their communities.
The concept for the Indigenous Women Atelier grew from conversations in the Self Help Graphics' print studio between artist Nani Chacon and Master Printer Dewey Tafoya in 2021. The two artists discussed the lack of representation and voice of Indigenous women in the arts and assumed stereotypes about their art practice. The atelier includes five artists from the South West: Nanibah Chacon (Dinè), Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva), Skye Tafoya (Eastern Band Cherokee and Santa Clara Pueblo tribes), Avis Charley (Dakota and Navajo), and Melissa Govea (Tochtlita).
Notions (2022) by Avis Charley and 2022Self Help Graphics & Art
Notions by Avis Charley
About the artist:
Avis Charley (Spirit Lake Dakota/ Diné) is a visual artist born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She is a ledger artist and painter who creates figurative drawings and paintings exploring the evolving Native American identity from the pre-reservation period to the present day, from ancestral homelands to city life.
About the print
"The figure, she’s smiling looking back, there are two teepees there that represent our ancestors and [it is] almost her letting them know that we are okay. We are still here and we are thriving. We know who we are and where we come from." - Avis Charley
"I remember my mom telling me a story about how she met my dad. She was on an RTD bus [...] they both relocated to the LA area from their reservations in the late 60’s. I like to think of the RTD as my creation story, but also paying homage to my parents meeting." -A.C
"[Buffalos] gave us shelter, food, clothing, tools, and so our ancestors didn’t waste one piece of the buffalo. I wanted to pay respect to the Buffalo nation for giving us life."
"On Sundays, we would go to Winchell’s and get a box of donuts. That was such a treat for us." - A.C
Artist interview with Avis Charley. Charley is a ledger artist and painter who creates figurative drawings and paintings exploring the evolving Native American identity from the pre-reservation period to the present day, from ancestral homelands to city life.
Relatives (2022) by Skye TafoyaSelf Help Graphics & Art
Relatives by Skye Tafoya
About the artist: Rhiannon 'Skye' Tafoya (Eastern Band Cherokee & Santa Clara Pueblo) creates two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms ranging from hand-held to life-size. Her Indigenous heritage and lineages are significant elements continuously present and honored within her work. Skye uses several processes to create her work, including serigraph, relief and letterpress printmaking, digital design, paper-weaving, and book-making.
About the Print
"I'm really drawn to different types of basketry [...] My print here is a design that I wanted to weave and started weaving on paper. I created the design before I got to the studio. As I began color separations, the design transformed into something else." - Skye Tafoya
Artist interview with Skye Tafoya. Rhiannon “Skye” Tafoya uses several processes to create her work, including serigraph, relief and letterpress printmaking, digital design, paper-weaving, and book-making.
Tovaangar (A Seal of) (2022) by Weshoyot AlvitreSelf Help Graphics & Art
Tovaangar (A Seal Of) by Weshoyot Alvitre
About the artist:
Weshoyot Alvitre is a Tongva (Los Angeles Basin) and Scottish comic book artist and illustrator. She was born in the Santa Monica Mountains on the property of Satwiwa, a cultural center started by her father, Art Alvitre. She grew up close to the land and was raised with traditional knowledge that inspires the work she does today.
About the Print
"I wanted to play off of the Los Angeles seal. I thought [...] what would our representation look like through our lens with our own objects and not these sort of imported objects that make up Los Angeles [...] if it was just left back to the original people." - Weshoyot Alvitre
Artist interview with Weshoyot Alvite. Alvitre is a Tongva (Los Angeles Basin) and Scottish comic book artist and illustrator.
Migration is Beautiful (2022) by Melissa GoveaSelf Help Graphics & Art
Migration is Natural by Melissa Govea
About the artist: Melissa Govea (Tochtlita) is a multidisciplinary creative from Yangna occupied Tongva Territory - South Central LA. She specializes in traditional sign painting and screen printing. Her work is heavily rooted in culture and in her organizing experience. Aiming to create socially conscious visual narratives to develop needed resources for regenerative communities.
About the Print
"We are seeing [migration] as a very natural thing, we have done it for thousands of years. I chose a butterfly to symbolize that immigration is an issue for everyone, for Brown folk, for Black folk, for everyone who is not American you know?" - Melissa Govea
"You can kind of see my messaging that says “Abolish ICE” “No One Is Illegal” [...] I really wanted to include that messaging but in a very subtle way. You see the butterfly in the front, you think it’s just a nice image." - M.G
Artist interview with Melissa “Tochtlita” Govea. Govea is a multidisciplinary creative from Yangna occupied Tongva Territory– South Central LA. She specializes in traditional sign painting and screen printing. Her work is heavily rooted in culture and in her organizing experience.
Master Weaver (2022) by Nanibah ChaconSelf Help Graphics & Art
Master Weaver by Nanibah Chacon
About the artist:
Born in Gallup, and raised in Corrales, New Mexico and Chinli, Arizona, Chacon began as a graffiti artist at 16, and continued as such for the next ten years. With the birth of her son, she began exploring other mediums, including oil painting. Through the female archetypes in her work, she explores the ideas of feminism, culture, traditions, and modernism, evoking a dialogue between culture and the contemporary social perspective.
About the Print
"I had started out with a more saturated version of this drawing and it wasn't feeling intimate enough. In the printing process, the color palettes changed a little bit. I liked the warm grays and cool grays, [...] the depth between the two."
- Nanibah Chacon
Artist interview with Nanibah Chacon, curator of our Indigenous Women’s Atelier. Listen to her share about her artwork that pays homage to the Dine weavers, the weaving tradition, and their life-long dedication to this practice.
Copyright of all images are held by the artist. Any request for usage should be directed to them.
