Spotlight on Indigenous Artists: Preserving Heritage Through Art

In studios, community centers, and remote workshops around the world, indigenous artists are creating powerful works that bridge ancestral traditions with contemporary expression. These artists are not only preserving cultural heritage but also using their art to address pressing social and environmental issues while creating dialogues between indigenous communities and broader audiences.

For this special feature, we spoke with five indigenous artists from different regions who are gaining recognition for their work that honors traditional techniques while speaking to modern concerns. Their stories reveal both the challenges of maintaining cultural practices in a rapidly changing world and the innovative ways they're ensuring these traditions not only survive but evolve and thrive.

Kayla Bointy: Revitalizing Pawnee Textile Traditions

Based in Oklahoma, Kayla Bointy is bringing new life to the distinctive textile traditions of the Pawnee Nation. After earning her MFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, Bointy returned to her community with a mission to revitalize practices that were in danger of being lost.

"When I was studying contemporary art, I realized that many of our traditional textile techniques weren't being practiced anymore," Bointy explains. "I started interviewing elders and researching in museums that had historic Pawnee textiles in their collections."

What began as research has evolved into both artistic practice and community education. Bointy creates striking contemporary works using traditional techniques and materials, while also teaching classes to Pawnee youth.

"I work with natural dyes and traditional patterns, but I also incorporate contemporary imagery that speaks to issues facing our community today—from climate change to cultural identity in the digital age. For me, these aren't separate concerns; our traditional ecological knowledge has much to teach us about addressing today's environmental challenges."

Bointy's work has been exhibited at major institutions including the National Museum of the American Indian, but she considers her community workshops equally important. "Every time a young person learns these techniques, it ensures they'll continue for another generation. That's success to me."

Wiremu Tāwhai: Māori Carving in the Digital Age

From his workshop in Rotorua, New Zealand, Wiremu Tāwhai is reimagining the ancient Māori art of whakairo (carving) for contemporary contexts. Trained in traditional techniques through the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, Tāwhai brings both deep respect for tradition and a willingness to innovate.

"Carving has always been our way of recording knowledge and history," Tāwhai says. "Each piece tells a story—of ancestors, natural forces, relationships between people and the land. These stories are still relevant, but sometimes they need new forms to reach people today."

Tāwhai's work ranges from traditional meeting house carvings to public art installations that incorporate both carved elements and digital components. One recent project uses augmented reality to allow viewers to see animations that bring the stories in his carvings to life through their smartphones.

"Technology isn't a threat to traditional practices—it can be a tool for making them more accessible," he argues. "Many young Māori are disconnected from their culture because of urbanization and other factors. Digital tools can create new entry points that eventually lead them to deeper engagement with traditional knowledge."

Alongside his artistic practice, Tāwhai is developing an online resource that documents carving techniques and their cultural significance. "I see documentation as part of my responsibility as a carver. Every carver adds to the tradition, but we also need to preserve what we've learned for those who come after us."

Carmen Selam: Contemporary Yakama Beadwork

Seattle-based artist Carmen Selam is reimagining the possibilities of beadwork, a traditional art form among many Native American nations including her own Yakama community. Her intricate pieces range from wearable art to gallery installations that challenge preconceptions about indigenous art.

"I learned beading from my grandmother and aunts," Selam recounts. "It was always presented as something practical—you made things to wear or use. But I started seeing the creative possibilities beyond traditional forms."

Selam's work often incorporates pop culture references and contemporary imagery while using traditional beading techniques and design principles. One striking series features portraits of indigenous activists and leaders rendered entirely in beadwork.

"There's this false dichotomy that gets set up—either you're making 'traditional' art or you're making 'contemporary' art. But indigenous peoples have always innovated and responded to changing circumstances. The traditions themselves include adaptation."

Selam is particularly interested in how beadwork can address contemporary political issues. "Historically, beadwork was a way for indigenous women to maintain cultural identity during periods of intense pressure to assimilate. That makes it inherently political. My work continues that tradition by addressing issues like environmental justice and indigenous sovereignty."

In addition to her artistic practice, Selam conducts workshops and maintains an active social media presence where she shares both finished work and her creative process. "Visibility matters. When indigenous young people see our arts being celebrated, it creates space for them to embrace their own creativity and cultural identity."

Eduardo Nieva: Connecting Andean Traditions with Global Concerns

Based in Jujuy Province, Argentina, Eduardo Nieva creates paintings and installations that draw on the visual language and natural materials of his Andean heritage. A member of the Kolla community, Nieva's work explores the intersection of indigenous cosmology with contemporary environmental and social justice concerns.

"In the Andean worldview, there is no separation between humans and nature, or between the material and spiritual realms," Nieva explains. "This perspective offers important alternatives to the extractive mindset that has created our current environmental crisis."

Nieva's paintings incorporate natural pigments derived from local minerals and plants, continuing techniques used in the region for thousands of years. His large-scale works often reference Andean cosmological symbols while addressing modern issues like climate change, mining, and water rights.

"These aren't separate issues for indigenous communities in the Andes. The struggles for cultural survival and environmental protection are deeply interconnected. When mining companies contaminate water sources, they're not just creating an environmental problem—they're disrupting relationships and practices that sustain cultural identity."

Nieva frequently collaborates with scientists, environmental activists, and other artists on interdisciplinary projects. One recent installation combined his paintings with scientific data about glacial melt in the Andes, creating a powerful statement about climate change impacts on indigenous communities.

"Art can translate between different ways of knowing," he observes. "It can make scientific information emotionally resonant, and it can make indigenous knowledge accessible to non-indigenous audiences. We need these translations to address the complex challenges we face."

Mai Nguyen: Reviving Vietnamese Ethnic Minority Textiles

Mai Nguyen's path to becoming a textile artist began with academic research. While studying cultural anthropology, she became fascinated by the intricate textiles created by Vietnam's ethnic minority communities, particularly the Hmong, Dao, and Tày peoples.

"I realized that these incredible textile traditions were in danger of disappearing as younger generations moved to cities and traditional lifestyles changed," Nguyen says. "What began as research became a commitment to supporting the continuation of these practices."

Today, Nguyen divides her time between Hanoi and remote villages in northern Vietnam, where she works directly with artisans—primarily women—to document techniques, develop contemporary applications for traditional skills, and create market connections for their work.

"Each ethnic group has distinct textile traditions with unique materials, techniques, and symbolic languages," she explains. "These aren't just decorative arts—they encode cultural knowledge about everything from medicinal plants to creation stories."

Nguyen's own artistic practice involves collaborative projects with traditional artisans, creating pieces that showcase their skills while finding new audiences. One recent exhibition featured traditional hemp cloth dyed with indigo and embellished with batik techniques, transformed into contemporary gallery installations.

"There's a delicate balance between preservation and evolution," Nguyen acknowledges. "These traditions need to remain viable livelihoods in the contemporary economy, which means finding new applications while maintaining cultural integrity."

The economic dimension is crucial. "Cultural preservation can't be separated from economic sustainability. When women can earn fair incomes from their traditional skills, they're more likely to pass those skills to the next generation."

Common Themes: Challenges and Innovations

Despite their diverse backgrounds and artistic approaches, these five artists share several common experiences and concerns:

Balancing Preservation and Innovation

All five artists navigate the tension between preserving traditional techniques in their authentic forms and allowing them to evolve to remain relevant. As Tāwhai puts it, "Traditions stay alive by changing. The challenge is to ensure that change happens in ways that maintain cultural continuity and meaning."

Education and Transmission

Each artist emphasizes the importance of teaching younger generations. "The work isn't just about making art objects," says Bointy. "It's about creating contexts where knowledge can be shared and new practitioners can emerge."

Addressing Environmental Concerns

Environmental themes run through all five artists' work, reflecting both the intimate connection between indigenous cultures and specific landscapes, and the disproportionate impacts of environmental degradation on indigenous communities.

Institutional Recognition and Market Access

While all five artists have achieved significant recognition, they acknowledge ongoing challenges in art world institutions. "There's still a tendency to pigeonhole indigenous art either as 'traditional craft' or to evaluate it only in terms of Western art criteria," notes Selam. "We need more indigenous curators and critics who understand these works in their proper cultural contexts."

Digital Documentation and Dissemination

Digital tools play an important role for all five artists, both for documenting traditional knowledge and for sharing their work with broader audiences. Social media, in particular, has created new possibilities for indigenous artists to connect directly with audiences and with each other, bypassing traditional gatekeepers.

Looking Forward: The Future of Indigenous Art

As these artists demonstrate, indigenous art traditions are not static relics of the past but living, evolving practices that continue to generate powerful and relevant work. By maintaining connections to cultural knowledge while engaging with contemporary contexts, indigenous artists offer important perspectives on some of today's most pressing challenges.

"Indigenous art isn't just about preserving the past," concludes Nieva. "It's about carrying forward ways of seeing and relating to the world that offer alternatives to dominant systems that are proving unsustainable. These traditions have survived centuries of pressure precisely because they contain wisdom that remains relevant."

The growing recognition of indigenous artists in major museums, galleries, and art markets suggests an increasing appreciation for these perspectives. But the artists we spoke with emphasize that the most important validation comes from their own communities.

"Success for me is when young people from my community see possibilities in these traditional practices," says Bointy. "When they recognize that our heritage isn't something left behind but a living resource for creating meaningful work today—that's when I know these traditions will continue."