About the Artist

Ernest Lewis was born on the Navajo reservation in 1950. His day to day experiences there allow him the insight to portray scenes of life on the reservation with acute sensitivity to the nuances of situations that might otherwise appear to be far simpler depictions than they are.

His chosen medium is casein, a water-based medium that becomes resistant to water, once dry after several years have passed.

Ernest's work is included in the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana. Tanner's book Southwest Indian Painting: A Changing Art references the artist. Lewis's paintings have won awards at Inter-Tribal Ceremonials at Gallup, New Mexico; the Philbrook Art Center in Oklahoma; at the Red Cloud Indian Art Show in South Dakota and at the Scottsdale National Indian Art Exhibit in Arizona.