Thomas, Rebecca

Rebecca Thomas 

Two Perspectives of Life 

16x20 

Acrylic Paint 

NFS 

Bio: I am a Native American artist who has been creating work for as long as I can remember. In the past I would doodle for fun in class, to focus, and now I create it to show moments in my life. I am highly influenced by both my dad and grandpa who are both artists in their own right. I used to watch them make designs in pencil and charcoal. I think their work inspired me to become an artist. I work in a wide range of media, although my favorite is acrylic. 

Artist Statement: My acrylic painting shows the relationship between two different stages in life, both having different points of view in the same moment in time. Using a monochromatic grayscale helped me illustrate the contrast between the two. This portrait showcases my great grandmother and my cousin, bringing to light that older generations try to keep cultural traditions in the tribe Diné alive, while simultaneously many younger generations start to lean away from those traditions. Both my great grandmother and cousin illustrate what it’s like to be indigenous in modern day.