Jeffrey Gibson

Jeffrey Gibson, a contemporary artist of Choctaw-Cherokee heritage, weaves together cultural narratives and artistic traditions to create vibrant and dynamic works. Drawing inspiration from his Indigenous roots as well as from popular culture, music, and personal experiences, Gibson's art transcends boundaries, inviting viewers to explore themes of identity, community, and resilience. Through his use of diverse materials and techniques, Gibson crafts visually striking pieces that offer succinct commentary on cultural hybridity and Indigenous futures.

Gibson employs traditional Indigenous handcraft techniques into his art, such as Southeastern river cane basket weaving, Algonquian birch bark biting, and porcupine quillwork. Through his art, he seamlessly blends elements of sculpture, painting, and performance, creating dynamic works that are both visually stunning and conceptually rich. His-appropriation of both found and commercial commodities – ranging from song lyrics to the literal objecthood of punching bags – repurposed through Minimalist and post-Minimalist aesthetics, speaks to the revisionist history of Modernist forms and techniques. His sculptures and paintings seamlessly coalesce traditional Native American craft with contemporary cultural production and references, forming works that speak to the experience of an individual subjectivity within the larger narrative defining contemporary globalization.

A 2019 recipient of the prestigious MacArthur fellowship, Jeffrey Gibson is represented in the permanent collections of over twenty museums including the Denver Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; High Museum of Art, Atlanta; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. In addition to his participation in the 2019 Whitney Biennial, Gibson has been honored by solo exhibitions at the New Museum in New York, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Portland Art Museum. Notably, Gibson was chosen to represent the United States at the 2024 Venice Biennale, making him the first Indigenous artist in history to do so.