Native American Art --> Native Painting
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Painting is one of the most popular art forms people mail us about. It's also one of the least traditional American Indian art forms.
There were native painting traditions in many tribes, but they were almost all decoration for functional items, such as paintings on
leather war shirts or tipi covers, or else inherently non-portable, such as painted petroglyphs on a nearby cliff face.
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One exception
is Navajo Indian sandpainting, which was originally a
spectacular religious art. Today some Navajo artists make secular
versions of traditional sandpainting which can be purchased as cultural art.
Other contemporary Native American artists have
adapted Western painting styles to depict their own people, experiences, and worldviews. Though the techniques of these paintings
are not traditionally Indian, the styles, designs, and subject matter reflect the artists' tribal heritage, and many of them are stunningly
beautiful and incisive. It seems like there are hundreds of non-native painters out there churning out mediocre pictures of unbelievably
inauthentic Indian maidens contemplating wildlife scenes and then marketing these as "Native American pictures." Well... they're not.
In many cases, the person painting them has quite clearly never even SEEN a Native American person.
So if you're looking for paintings or prints that were actually made by Native Americans, either because authenticity is important to you
or because you want to support native people with your purchase, here is a directory of American Indian artists whose
work is available online. If you have a website of Indian paintings or prints to add to this list,
let us know.
We gladly advertise any individual native artist or native-owned art store here free of charge, provided that all pictures were made by tribally
recognized American Indian, Inuit, or First Nations artists.
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![]() A terrific collection of contemporary portraits and paintings by native artists Joanne Swanson, Dana Tiger, L. David Eveningthunder, Urshel Taylor and the late great Jerome Bushyhead. All proceeds go directly to the artists. |
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![]() Beautiful selection of impressionistic native prints by a Dakota Sioux artist. |
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![]() Collection of prints by Canadian Indian artists, particularly Northwest Coast tribes. Not all of them have price information online--inquire by email if you are interested in one that does not. |
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![]() This Navajo family craft shop offers sand paintings in both traditional and more touristy designs. Don't miss the most beautiful yei figures and mesa silhouettes near the bottom. |
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The least expensive way to admire a piece of native-made art. We've moved the Native American Greeting Cards to their own page now; visit them there! |
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Visions and Voices: Native American Painting | The Navajo Art of Sandpainting | Native North American Art | North American Indian Art |
Excellent survey of 20th-century Indian painting from the Philbrook Museum of Art. | Beautifully illustrated guide to traditional and modern Navajo sandpaintings. | A good book on American Indian art history in general, from ancient times to today. | Book by a Cree scholar on contemporary First Nations art. |
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