Artists

Kylie Wanatee-Thunderhawk

Pronouns: she/her
Tribal Affiliation: Oglala Lakota

Kylie is Sicangu & Oglala Lakota from the Titowan band of the Oceti Sakowin ( seven council fires). She is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, in Rosebud, SD, where she grew up and graduated from high school. Kylie is a visual artist whose art stemmed from her deep-seated desire to portray concepts beyond the confines of reality, translating her unique vision into tangible creations. She works in mediums such as Gouache, Acrylic & Oil paint, Charcoal, and Graphite.

Oscar Howe Summer Art Institute (OHSAI)

Kylie participated in the Oscar Howe Summer Art Institute for the years 2019, 2021, and 2022.

The Oscar Howe Summer Art Institute is a two-week-long program in the summer open to all high school students with an interest in visual arts as well as Indigenous culture.

There, Kylie was instructed by accomplished artists such as Henry Payer, Keith Braveheart, Angela Babby, Melanie Yazzie, and John Hitchcock. She has studied various methods of creating art, such as glass mosaics, mixed media, screen printing, still-life painting, and so many others.

It is there that she also gained a sense of identity and purpose in her artwork. She believes it was a pivotal turning point in her aspiring career, turning her art into something that speaks her truth from deep within.