Geometry of Culture

At first glance, geometry might not seem like a narrative form — but through these artists’ eyes, shape and color unspool into stories far-reaching and intimate, from cultural histories to personal lore. Show curator and gallery owner Frank Rose chose artists whose work appears as geometric abstraction, but upon closer look, reveals layers of personal, cultural and historical meaning. From Santa Fe-based Piikani artist Terran Last Gun’s work integrating forms derived from Blackfoot-painted lodges, hides, and war shirts to Eastern Band of Cherokee and Santa Clara Pueblo artist Skye Tafoya’s paper weavings manifesting her dual tribal heritages, cultures, and lineages, each artist offers a unique lens through which to explore the show’s theme. For many of the artists, there is a strong tie to cultural history in the very media they work with. Native Hawaiian artist Lehuauakea is known for their perpetuation of and innovations in kapa (traditional Native Hawaiian barkcloth). Kanaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian artist Ian Kūali'i is also working with kapa, creating eight hand-cut works that expand on the artist’s transition from milled paper to the use of more sustainable and culturally-relevant materials. The show also welcomes gallery newcomer Nancy Ariza, whose printmaking draws from her Mexican heritage and family lineage as a descendent of a saddlemaker and piteado artisan — crafts she works to revive, reclaim, and reinterpret through traditional and alternative printmaking processes including woodcut, screenprinting, and dry pigment screenprinting, combined with natural pigments. Together, these artists present distinctive geometries grounded in cultural identity. Their offerings invite viewers to look beyond two-dimensional geometry and explore the layers of beauty, wisdom, and history that unfold.