“Self Portrait” Blair Treuer English name Naawakamigookwe/Center of the Earth Woman Ojibwe name
2018 Fabric and Thread 54”H x 49”W (137cmH X 125cmW)
Self-Portrait.
My self portrait is about the cocktail of both despair and hope that I feel as a mother and wife in this family and about my purpose in this world. I’m in the dark and naked. I often feel I have nothing to offer my children or my husband. I am of Scandinavian decent but I don’t even know what that means to me. I don’t have ways of being handed down and taught with purpose, I don’t have things that are known by my people and through my people from ancient times. I don’t have spiritual gifts, birthrights to bestow...etc. No toolbox. I’m just out here winging it loaded up on American culture...gas stations, shopping malls, McDonalds. I didn’t realize how little I had until I realized my husband had so much. I didn’t know how lost I felt until I became aware of how sure footed my husband and my children are. But I have hope. The antlers are on top of my head as if to say, there is something incredible about me too. I also possess a spectacular gift. I can’t see it but I can feel it as though it’s within my very bones, past down from past down from my ancient tribe too. And someday I’ll know how to use it and be empowered by it..
Awards:
ArtisTTable Studio Award April 2020
Special Recognition, “10th Annual International Figurative Exhibition” Light Space and Time Online Gallery Awarded April 2020
Semi-Honorable Mention Art Olympia 2019 Tokyo Awarded December 2020.
Exhibitions:
“Identity” The Atrium at the Bloomington Art Center, Bloomington, MN U.S.A Sept 21- Nov 5, 2023
“Identity” The Edge Center, Big Fork, Minnesota U.S.A July 1 - July 31, 2023
“Identity” Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins MN U.S.A. May 18 -June 17, 2023
“Identity” Great River Arts, Little Falls Minnesota U.S.A. Jan 1- March 1, 2023
“Identity” Northwest Art Center, Minot State University, Minot North Dakota U.S.A Nov 1-Dec. 1, 2022
“Boom” Focus Art Fair Invitational, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris France September 1-4. 2022
“Identity” The Whit Gallery, St. Cloud, Minnesota U.S.A March 25 - April 16, 2022
“May Group Exhibition”: The Jones Gallery Kansas City, Missouri May 7- 28, 2021
“Figure it Out” National Juried Exhibition, TAG120Art, Taylor, Texas US.A. February 6th -April 3, 2021
“Identity” Duluth Art Institute, Duluth Minnesota, October 2020 - January 2021
“Borders 2020” Venice International Art Fair July 23 - August 21, 2020
“FreeChoice” ArtisTTable International Exhibition April 2020
“A Light in the Darkness” Las Laguna Gallery, Laguna Beach CA, USA July 3-August 31, 2020
“Xposed: Naked and Not Afraid” Knox Contemporary Art Gallery, Calgary,AB Canada July 2-August 31, 2020
“Beyond, Behind, Beneath…The Self Portraiture” South Haven Arts Exhibition May 22-July 18, 2020
“Free Choice” ArtisTTable International Online Exhibition April 2020
“10th Annual International Figurative Exhibition” Light Space and Time Online Gallery April 2020
“Identity Portraits” Watermark Art Center, Bemidji Minnesota, January 10th -March 28th, 2020
“All Women” Contemporary Art Gallery Online February 26th- March 26th, 2020
Publications:
“The Raw Art Review” Winter 2020
“Beyond Words Magazine” Issue 2 April 2020
"SonderMidwest” Issue V April 2020