‘Patterns of Knowing’ brings Indigenous art, culture to Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center

A local art display at the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center is asking visitors to experience Indigenous culture through the kaleidoscope lens of patterns, colors and textures.

“Patterns of Knowing,” on view until Oct. 23 in the Mary LeFlore Clements Oklahoma Gallery, brings together about 20 works from renowned Indigenous artists Jordan Ann Craig, Benjamin Harjo Jr. and Jeri Redcorn.

Paintings, prints, ceramics and more draw upon colors and symbols that are “part of a living culture,” said associate curator Pablo Barrera via a press release.

“By anchoring their inventive compositions to the heritage of their respective communities, the artists simultaneously preserve Indigenous visual language and contribute toward its evolution as a contemporary art form,” Barrera said.

Craig, Northern Cheyenne Tribe, uses color and patterns of patchwork and beadwork to create large, sweeping symmetrical pieces.

Harjo Jr., Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma/Seminole, paints figures in motion amidst vibrant colors contrasted against backgrounds of vivid symbols while experimenting with tribal patterns.

Redcorn, Caddo Nation of Oklahoma/Citizen Potawatomi, continues the tradition of Caddoan pottery and embraces mathematical and philosophical principles behind the style.

“Patterns of Knowing invites viewers to learn more about the lineage of artistic practices tapped by Craig, Harjo, and Redcorn, and the ways they are contributing toward the constant evolution of Indigenous patterns and artistic principles,” Barrera said.

Learn more by visiting oklahomacontemporary.org.