Keith Secola, Mino Mashkiki Wish Kang Solo Exhibition
FEBRUARY 21 – MARCH 27, 2020
Join us on Friday, February 21 as we celebrate the opening of Nuchuu: Portraits of the Northern Ute featuring the work of Keith Secola., Mino Mashkiki Wish Kang at (SCENE) Metrospace. In addition to the exhibition, the artist will be offering a free screen printing workshop prior to the opening from 5 pm –7 pm. The reception will start at 7 pm. This exhibition will be on view until March 27.
Through this workshop, the audience will take a deep dive into history and lineage by exploring Keith Secola’s work, the process of screen printing, and his use of family archives. There will be a live demonstration of his process and the opportunity for the audience to pull their own print. This exhibition and workshop were made possible thanks to support from the City of East Lansing, the MSU College of Arts & Letters, and the Department of Art, Art History, and Design.
Exhibition Statement
Recently my project has involved the reinsertion of the American Indian image onto collaged and deconstructed book covers of American history. I tear and collage assorted Colonial books to create my surface to print on. My source imagery derives from two archival photo albums from my Grandparents, representing my Ute Indian heritage and our band of Uncompahgre from Colorado. American Indian stories and history are often erased or forgotten. My use of archival photography and printmaking allows me to create a layer between the past and present to form new narratives that question Native identity by fusing the imagery and the books as one. In addition, I paint an extra layer on the surface of the wall with graphic murals of Euro-centric depictions of Eastern Coastal Native Americans around first contact. This further pushes the dichotomy of the real and the fantastic savage.
Keith Secola, Mino Mashkiki Wish Kang grew up in the Southwest and belongs to the Ute Indian tribe and Anishinabe Nation. He graduated from California College of the Arts MFA in San Francisco, with a focus on silkscreen printing. The earliest influences come from his father, who is a musician, traveling and exposing him to contemporary Native arts at a young age. These early experiences would influence life in creative arts. Finding a balance between contemporary life and tradition, Keith blends printmaking, archival photography, illustrations, and murals derived from Native American life to transmit indigenous voices and identity. The artist currently works and lives in Oakland, California.
More information about the artist can be found on his website.
