Digital “Painting” on canvas by Zuni Artist Keith Edaakie 22″ X 28″
Yes, this artwork won First Place at the Annual Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market 2023, but did I just spend adult money on a painting that wasn’t painted? The division was 2-Dimensional Art Division B. As the artwork was not forced into a special category for computer-generated art, it seemed unjust to view it as less than a painting executed with a brush.
Keith Edaakie explained that Journey Back Home illustrated the belief that the souls of children who died at Indian boarding schools returned home to their people.
Edaakie considers himself an art storyteller. Looking into his background he has been a lead instructor at an Emerging Artists Apprenticeship Program at Zuni. As of August 2022, twenty two students (aged 11-22) had completed their six week program focused on 2 dimensional graphic design.
More recently, Edaakie was awarded 1st Place at the Autry Museum’s Market in the category Best of Diverse Cultural Art Forms, as he painted on both sides of a very handsome skateboard.
Corinne Cain of SavvyCollector.com