Sources of Influence

Jeffrey Gibson’s approach to art making is defined by its blending of different elements, traditions, and influences, largely informed by his international upbringing in the United States, Korea, and Germany. Moving so often as a child, he found solace and friendship in the world of music, at various times exploring the sounds and social traditions of the punk and rave music of his generation and in the powwow traditions of his Indigenous heritage.

Gibson’s multicultural perspective also informed his study of art history and helped him to develop his practice—one in which Indigenous materials like animal hides, beads, and tipi poles intermingle with modern mediums like spray paint, acrylics, and tape. He resists common stereotypes of what many people believe Native American art should look like and combines Native art traditions with modern art techniques to explore themes of identity, culture, and history.

Gibson selected the following four Indigenous sources of influence to illustrate how his Indigenous heritage continues to inspire his artistic practice.