Both Wendy Star, and Kambui Olujimi uses their creative art work that defines their stances on identity through the lenses of other people’s perspectives and ways of thinking. Wendy Red Stars series entitled, “Diplomats of the Crow Nation” represents the history behind the Crow Peace Delegation of 1880 that included Medicine Crow and five other chief who traveled to Washington DC to discuss land rights and negotiations over building the Northern Pacific Railroad through Crow territory. Her work reflected the deliberate erasure of Native American culture that served to dehumanize the Crow and other indigenous peoples in the U.S. Red Star uses her artistic process to assert the man’s individual identity and accomplishments, as well as to learn more about her own culture as a Crow Indian and to share it with others. The figures are inliven by these annotations with arrows and outlines which brings out who they are and what they are wearing which became a vehicle for you to investigate crow history and specifically these individuals. Another series by Star was entitled, "Four Seasons," where she paired Crow garments with plastic flowers, inflatable animals, Astroturf and image of Western landscapes from the 1970s. She wanted to humanize Native Americans while poking "fun at romantic idealizations of American Indians as 'one with nature.” There was another artwork that was called, “Family Portrait Series”, which hightlights some of her family members that were in the Crow and Indian communities. The design included many colorful quilts which was an important signature within her culture. The figures in her artwork wore their traditional clothing and headpieces with pride and confidence. Red Stars artwork in many different ways highlights the importance of understanding where you come from and why that aspect of your life makes you unique.
Skywriters & Constellations is an exhibition featuring the work of multi-media artist Kambui Olujimi. A short, fulldome video commissioned specifically for the Museum’s Dreyfuss Planetarium, Skywriters is an immersive work of art, a collage of time and space projected onto the Planetariums dome. Constellations, a related series of 12 lithographic prints, introduces visitors to many of the characters, creatures, and key events in Olujimi’s mythic narrative. Both the short and prints are drawn from Olujimi’s novella, Wayward North (2010). The creation of the piece intrigued me but the following of the story through the fragmented narration was hard to understand. The differents constellations told a story of how space and time created different kinds of creatures and events. I have yet to see animation such like this one and that is what makes his work one of a kind.
My final project will represent my understanding of identity through my childhood. I strongly believe my identity is formed from me overcoming obstacles in my life that others would have found impossible to get through. Growing up a premie was a struggle for not only me but my parents also. I want to educate others and help them to understand the history and complications behind raising a preemie child.Writing a children’s book on preemie from a parents perspective I hope will give others going through the same struggles some motivation and encourage to get through.
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