Jeffrey Gibson
Jeffrey A. Gibson (born March 31, 1972) is a Mississippi Choctaw/Cherokee painter and sculptor from the United States, based in Hudson, New York. Jeffrey Gibson’s multimedia practice synthesizes the cultural and artistic traditions of his Cherokee and Choctaw heritage with the visual languages of Modernism and themes from contemporary popular and queer culture. His work is a vibrant call for queer and Indigenous empowerment, envisioning a celebration of strength and joy within these communities.
Jeffrey Gibson (b. 1972, Colorado Springs, CO) grew up in major urban centers in the United States, Germany, Korea, and England. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1995 and Master of Arts in painting at the Royal College of Art, London, in 1998. He is a citizen of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and is half Cherokee. He is currently an artist-in-residence at Bard College and lives and works near Hudson, New York.
Jeffrey Gibson
POWERFUL BECAUSE WE ARE DIFFERENT
relief print
2020
Gift of Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo and the Dorothea L. Leonhardt Foundation, INC
Gibson is known for his bright colors in his textile work, and indigenous handcrafts such as embroidering. His painting style is abstract, geometric, and often include text that he takes inspiration from. The materials he uses are laden with personal and cultural significance: beadwork, fabric, and fringe all add physical and symbolic weight to his works. His sculptures and paintings seamlessly coalesce traditional Native American craft with contemporary cultural production and references, forming works that speak to the experience of an individual subjectivity within the larger narrative defining contemporary globalization. This piece was commissioned by the Whitney Museum of American Art for the 2021 celebration.