Opening Reception: Rhiannon Skye Tafoya: New Work on Paper

In her upcoming show, Rhiannon Skye Tafoya centers cultural teachings including basketry, plant identification, foraging and harvesting knowledge. She also acknowledges and honors her basket-making teachers. In addition to several new screen prints and letterpress prints, Tafoya has created new works in woven paper. These are crafted from ornamental letterpress prints and split fountain multi-color prints from recent print residencies including InCahoots in Petaluma, CA, Crows Shadow Institute of the Arts in Pendleton, OR, and Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, CA.

Tafoya’s work has always honored her loved ones and ancestors, elevating themes of cultural teachings, Cherokee language preservation, motherhood and personal and familial narratives through her meticulously crafted designs, patterns, prints and weavings. While basketry has always been an integral influence in her artistic practice, her newly-gained knowledge of the process of creating white oak baskets is evident in her recent work, deepening its connections to her cultural heritage. The designs and motifs she creates in her prints and paper weavings “are directly influenced by my time spent in my community as an inquisitive learner,” the artist says.