Jason Lujan | “Untitled (Summer Star)”
Click the image to expand and zoom in.
Untitled (Summer Star) Gouache and acrylic on paper 46” x 64” 2020
When the Covid-19 pandemic began to overtake the United States and Canada in March 2020, after a period of sheltering in place, I began making gouache paintings on paper centered on my mind’s eye picture of the landscape. After a while, Native cosmic design elements (rendered in spray paint) began appearing into the pictures. I have often referenced Indigenous cosmology in previous artwork, but this time it was unexpected. The process of creation involved closing my eyes and thinking about horizons – where earth meets sky – and then letting instinct take over for the painting process. Making paintings has been a form of self-care – an antidote to the mild claustrophobia of this Spring and Summer. Landscapes are tied to holistic health and there is much research of the healing properties of even seeing specific places. I believe the same can be said of art that presents the idea of a place, particularly when those images (with the aid of symbology) reinforce Native systems of belief and worldview.
— Jason Lujan
ABOUT JASON LUJAN
Jason Lujan is Chiricahua Apache and Mexican. He is originally from Marfa, Texas but has lived in New York City since 2001.
His work explores interconnectivity and he strives to create an international sense of place through his personal experiences.
Previous exhibitions and performances include Fancy Dance Good Luck Lion at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, the National Museum of the American Indian in New York, and the Curibita Biennial in Brazil, as well as the solo installation Summer Burial at the Museum of Contemporary Native Art in Santa Fe.