THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS AROUND ME, IS LIKE THE DENSE FOG IN A PRAIRIE. YOU HAVE TO SEE THINGS UP CLOSE TO COMPREHEND IT, TO EXPERIENCE IT, AND BEHOLD IT. IT IS LIKE THE MEANING OF WASTEMNA, A BEAUTIFUL PERFUME SMELLING FLOWER THAT ALSO MEANS DEATH.
Graci Horne
"Wowicake, meaning 'truth,' 'reality,' and 'fact,' and odowan iyapi, meaning 'song talking' or poetry, were the principles behind these creations," says Graci Horne. "I have taken great delight in serving my community on the reservation and city as a community-oriented artist. I have never before used art as a vehicle for asserting my identity and sharing my narrative. Making these works that revolved around my identity as a Dakota woman was challenging. My experiences of bravery, pain, love, and loss are reflected in the artworks on display in 'We've Been Gathering Places.'"