Chelsea Bighorn

Growing up I would attend powwows with my sister and grandma. We would walk around shopping for new jewelry, eat fry bread and watch the dancers. Back then, I found myself drawn to the highly embellished outfits that these powwow dancers would wear. This interest and fascination has continued to this day. These dancers, specifically the fancy shawl, have highly influenced my art practice and how I think about making. Using beads, canvas, fringe and other forms of decoration I create textile work that celebrates these memories with my grandmother as well as my rich cultural heritage.

Chelsea Bighorn (b.1989) was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona, and is Lakota, Dakota and Shoshone -Paiute. Bighorn’s work is the result of her combining traditional Native American design with elements from her Irish American heritage. Using this process, she tells her personal history through her art. Bighorn has shown her work at the Museum of Contemporary Native Art, SITE Santa Fe, Catharine Clark Gallery in San Francisco, and The Center for Native Futures in Chicago, IL. She graduated from The Institute of American Indian Arts in 2021 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts. Bighorn received her Master of Fine Arts in Fiber and Material Studies from School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 2024. She currently resides in Chicago, IL where she is an artist in residence with Chicago Artist Coalition.