Open to the public.
About the Artist
Demian DinéYazhi ́ is an Indigenous Diné transdisciplinary artist born to the clans Naasht’ézhí Tábaahá (Zuni Clan Water’s Edge) and Tódích’íí’nii (Bitter Water) living in Portland, OR. DinéYazhi ́ highlights the intersections of Radical Indigenous Queer Feminist ideology while challenging the white noise of contemporary art. Their work refuses colonial and professional etiquette while interrogating the irresponsible state of the Arts Industrial Complex. Their art practice enacts a transdisciplinary strategy through vibrant, radiating neon signs; letterpress posters reimagined from social media posts; self-published books printed collaboratively with BIPOC communities; or endurance performances and sonic collaborations that unsettle remnants of colonial assimilative conditioning that is stored in the body. Working in this manner honors ancestral traditions of Survivance, migration, and revolutionary histories tied to the resiliency of Indigenous, Trans, 2Spirit, and Queer communities.
DinéYazhi ́ received their BFA in Intermedia Arts from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2014. They are the founder of R.I.S.E.: Radical Indigenous Survivance & Empowerment, an activist initiative dedicated to the education and amplification of Indigenous culture. They have recently exhibited at Hessel Museum of Art, Honolulu Biennial, Biennale of Sydney, Vielmetter Los Angeles, Wexner Center for the Arts, Whitney Museum of American Art, Henry Art Gallery, Pioneer Works, and CANADA, NY. They are the author of Ancestral Memory, An Infected Sunset, and We Left Them Nothing.
About MFA Visiting Artist Summer Summer Lecture Series
The Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program's Summer Lecture Series brings together an international roster of visiting artists, curators, and scholars to participate in the MFA Summer Intensive in Portland Maine. In addition to critiques and studio visits with graduate candidates, Visiting Artists deliver a lecture open to all students, faculty & staff.