After a banner year, Santa Fe artist Heidi Brandow debuts a new series of whimsical characters and monsters on a large scale.
“I knew from an early age that our native identity is so rich that we shouldn’t just hold it to a specific ceremony or spiritual practice,” says Santa Fe artist Heidi Brandow. “In my eyes, art is a tool that helps mark history, time, place and memory. Who’s to say pop culture are not equally as important as star sticks?”
Hailing from a long line of Native Hawaiian singers, musicians and performers on her mother’s side and Diné storytellers and medicine people on her father’s side, her artistic career came naturally. Brandow draws inspiration from everyday life and international travels, distilling a myriad of cultural influences into powerful—yet playful—creations. By questioning authority and deconstructing mainstream assumptions of Native Amercans, Brandow’s work concerns discovering, defining, and redefining personal identity.
