Art lovers take notes. Chemehuevi photographer Cara Romero shares six Indigenous artists to know.
For those familiar with Chemehuevi fine art photographer Cara Romero’s work, it should come as no surprise that the Indigenous artists at the top of her watchlist are all women. After all, strong women feature heavily in her own imagery. “As women, we have a different way of communicating not only with each other and with the earth, but also visually,” she explains. “I’m attracted to the way these women commune with their art and their narrative.” Though their mediums, ethos, and creations are far from uniform, there’s a throughline of narrative storytelling uniting these six Indigenous artists you need to know—and whose work you should consider collecting. As Romero reminds, “Buried in our arts is our survivance, so when you support living Native artists, you are taking a tremendous step in allyship and contributing to the healing of generations.”
Cara Romero
Kaa Folwell (Santa Clara Pueblo) Pottery
“Kaa is one of the youngest contemporary Pueblo potters I know. I just love her aesthetic combining unexpected street style with a really identifiable Pueblo vernacular, which I think represents the tightrope we walk as artists. She comes from a line of trailblazing women, like her grandmother Jody Folwell, who has been making groundbreaking illustrated pots since the ’70s and forged the path for many young Native artists like myself.”
Graffiti Clouds (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of King Galleries)
Leah Mata Fragua (Northern Chumash) Basketry, regalia, jewelry, sculptural papermaking
“Leah is one of the most celebrated regalia makers in California, and she walks with the knowledge of a culture bearer. I’ve always known her as a jewelry and regalia maker, but she recently graduated with her MFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts and has started to move into installation work. She’s combining old California styles with contemporary storytelling, and her art practice is crossing over into the larger art scene with a punch.”
Relatives Up North (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of the artist)
Jazmin Novak (Diné) Sculpture
“I love Jazmin’s art in part because she’s a Native woman working in what’s traditionally a man’s world— breaking down stereotypes about bronze and glass sculptors. She is mastering this typically masculine medium and making it so feminine and personal with these coyotes, rabbits, and sleeping animals. I’ve had the opportunity to witness her at work, and her knowledge of tools, mechanics, sculpting, and materiality is just so impressive.”
Resilience (PHOTOGRAPHY: Erika Knecht)
Mikayla Patton (Oglala Lakota) Mixed media
“Mikayla has transcended categories of Native art. I’ve watched her elegant artwork mature as she has matured, which I can relate to as an artist who took some time to find my voice. She is just so kind and down-to-earth, and she calls upon very old parfleche designs and practices and brings them back to life with such soul. Her work is so beautifully executed and emotional, with this beauty and this pain that tell a story of where she’s from.”
Enduring (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art)
Arla Lucia Marquez (Seneca-Cayuga/Shoshone-Bannock/Blackfoot) Beadwork
“Arla was Wonder Woman in my 2020 photo Arla Lucia, and we became friends through the making of that photo. At that time, she was just beginning her journey to start making Seneca-style beadwork to reconnect with her ancestral home. I’ve had the opportunity to watch her hone her craft since the start, and her style and execution are divine. Her story is very inspiring to me, because it’s through her artwork that she’s reconnecting with her people.”
Sweethearts mini collections (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of the artist)
Summer Yahbay (Ojibwe) Beadwork
“I first saw Summer’s innovative work—a beaded bikini lingerie set—at Heard Indian Market, and for me, it felt like an epic move to reclaim our bodies, our sexuality, and our sense of humor. I find her narratives very brave; they really speak to where our hearts are. I can tell her audience is Native people, which lends a voice of authenticity to her art. She is picking up museum representation, but I think her work should be on the world stage.”
Beaded bikini (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of the artist)
From our May/June 2025 issue.
