The Chairman

Mural, Acrylic, 10’ x 10’, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

This is the first mural I ever painted. Exhibit C, a Chickasaw-owned gallery in the heart of Oklahoma City’s Bricktown district, sponsored a national contest. I entered several images for consideration without knowing how to go about painting a mural. Once I was selected, I had to figure it out. The result was an image depicting a Native American chairman after a long day’s work conducting business on behalf of his nation. In many contemporary Native Nations, the Tribal Chairman is the elected head of state. This image represents the fact that our Native nations are contemporary cultures firmly rooted in their cultural traditions while thriving in their modern environs. 

Curator’s Note: All of Eric’s murals are visual land acknowledgments—an expression of gratitude, appreciation, and recognition of the homeland of the original people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. This acknowledgement encourages people to think about what it means to occupy space on indigenous lands.