Blair Treuer

I’m a storyteller who paints with fabric and draws with thread. As the only white person in my Native American family, my work is about my reflections as an outsider and the emotional rollercoaster I often ride as I stand fixed on the outside but privileged enough to look in. It’s not simply about the pieces of Ojibwe culture I’ve been allowed to see, but instead what it’s allowed me to see within myself and even to recognize what cannot be found there. I'm not afraid to explore new approaches to fabric or afraid to engage in challenging topics. My portraits explore intimate parts of my life centering on the juxtaposition between my white culture and my husband’s traditional indigenous culture, and have ranged in topics from drug abuse, social ostracization, body image, femininity and masculinity, sexual abuse, and aging, with spirituality deeply woven into their narratives.