Indigenous Faces Art Gallery

Masai Woman III

Oil on Canvas

30 1/4" x 42"

Artist's Statement

Beautiful, natural, visceral, primitive, original, native, striking, unusual, aboriginal, ancient, wonderful, poor, extraordinary. This describes both the people and my reactions to them as I travel the world and photograph the faces of its many indigenous people. The beauty in the human face is a universal theme that ties us all together. It expresses not only the lifetime of an individual, but represents the diversity of human life. As indigenous cultures disappear, replaced by modernism and contemporary societies, the value of these cultures to the world are slowly being extinguished. A world where we are all the same is not a very interesting one.

I paint portraits to show the beauty and relevancy of indigenous culture to contemporary society. I hope to bring attention to the values these cultures represent and the challenges they face as the world moves them to the brink of extinction. As growing urban populations encroach on traditional indigenous territories, tribal cultures are forced to assimilate and westernize. Their lands are often exploited for natural resources by companies from developed countries, as well as their own governments. As a result the rights to their land and resources, as well as their culture and customs, are threatened.
As an artist, my mission and responsibility is bring awareness of their plight to the developed world, and to show the interconnectedness of all human beings. I am both blessed and lucky to have this opportunity in my life.

Indigenous Faces Art Gallery

Sunday, May 3, 2009

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