Demian Dinéyazhi' facts for kids

Demian DinéYazhi' (born 1983) is a Native American artist and activist. They are known for creating art that supports indigenous and LGBTQ+ communities. Their art includes many forms, like photography, sculpture, writing, and video.

DinéYazhi' started an artist group called R.I.S.E.: Radical Indigenous Survivance & Empowerment. They also co-direct a magazine, or zine, for LGBTQ+ and Indigenous people. They have published poetry books that share their ideas.

In 2017, DinéYazhi' won the Brink Award from the Henry Art Gallery. They live and work in Portland, Oregon. DinéYazhi' identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.

Early Life and Background

DinéYazhi' was born in 1983 in Gallup, New Mexico. They belong to the Naasht'ézhí Tábąąhá (Zuni Clan Water's Edge) and Tódích'íí'nii (Bitter Water) clans of the Diné (Navajo) people.

Growing up, they learned the traditions of their Diné culture. This taught them that land is sacred and that it's important to learn from older generations. These ideas became a big part of their art and activism.

From a young age, DinéYazhi' loved reading, writing, and making art. This interest led them to their career as an artist.

"I started off as a creative person mostly through writing... Poetry was my gateway to creating visual work: at some point what I wanted the work to convey grew outside of just text. I became more interested in photography and how there's this beautiful relationship between the body and the land." - Demian DinéYazhi'

After moving to Portland, Oregon, DinéYazhi' learned more about different gender identities in their tribal community. This helped them feel comfortable with their own non-binary identity.

Activism and Art

Growing up, DinéYazhi' felt pressure to fit into Western culture. They learned about the history of colonization and the difficult relationship between Native Americans and the U.S. government.

These experiences inspired them to explore ideas of 'Radical Indigenous Queer Feminism'. This way of thinking challenges unfair ideas in society and in the world of contemporary art.

R.I.S.E.: Radical Indigenous Survivance & Empowerment

In 2010, DinéYazhi' founded R.I.S.E. This group of Native American artists and activists was created to address the challenges faced by Indigenous communities.

The group works to teach people about traditional Native North American art and culture. R.I.S.E. uses art to support the rights and survival of Indigenous people. They use many types of media, including photos, paint, bead-work, and dance.

In 2019, DinéYazhi' and R.I.S.E. held an exhibition called R.I.S.E.: COLLECTIVE FURY. The event showed how frustration in the Indigenous and LGBTQ+ communities could be turned into a force for unity and strength. It included art, discussions, and workshops.

Locusts: A Post-Queer Nation Zine

DinéYazhi' co-edits a zine called Locusts with another Diné artist, Kevin Holden. A zine is a small, self-published magazine.

Locusts shares the stories of queer and trans people of color and Indigenous Two-Spirit individuals. It uses art, writing, and interviews to bring attention to their experiences. The zine won an award from the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art in 2017.

Education

In 2014, DinéYazhi' graduated from the Pacific Northwest College of Art with a degree in Intermedia Arts.

Famous Artworks

Make Native America Great Again, 2016

DinéYazhi' created this piece in 2016. It is a letterpress print on an old map of a Native American reservation.

The artwork was a response to the political slogan "Make America Great Again." DinéYazhi' wanted the piece to make people think about American history from a different point of view. The map reminds viewers of how Indigenous lands were taken by settlers.

KA-HA-TENI KAY-YAH and KAY-YAH CAH-DA-KHI TA-GAID AH-CHANH, 2016

DinéYazhi' made these two artworks with photographer Kali Spitzer. The titles come from the Navajo Code Talker Dictionary. This honors their grandfather, who was a Navajo Code Talker in the U.S. Marine Corps.

The first piece, KA-HA-TENI KAY-YAH, is made of dirt from their grandparents' homeland, Diné Bikéyah. The second piece, KAY-YAH CAH-DA-KHI TA-GAID AH-CHANH, is made of coal mined from the same land. Coal mining has harmed the environment and forced many Native people to move.

These artworks are about the difficult relationship between the government and Indigenous people. They call for environmental justice and the right of Native people to control their own lands.

A Nation is a Massacre, 2019

This artwork was first shown at the Pioneer Works gallery in New York. DinéYazhi' placed large, red, capital letters on the gallery windows. The text read: "A NATION IS A MASSACRE" and "THE DETAILS ARE GRUESOME & AMERICAN & AS PATRIOTIC AS GUN VIOLENCE & ... & MASS MURDER."

DinéYazhi' created this piece to speak out against the violence and injustice that many groups face. The artwork is meant to represent the long history of harm done to queer and Indigenous people since colonization.

We must stop imagining Apocalypse... + we must imagine liberation, 2024

In 2024, this neon light sculpture was shown at the Whitney Museum. It is made of three separate metal stands with glowing text.

The text on the stands encourages people to stop thinking about destruction and instead imagine a future of freedom. When seen from outside the building, the lights flicker to spell out "Free Palestine." DinéYazhi' says the work is about the failures of colonialism and the importance of speaking out for a better world.

Exhibitions and Awards

DinéYazhis art has been shown in many galleries and museums around the world.

Solo Exhibitions

• (2018) A Nation is a Massacre, Pioneer Works, Red Hook, New York, USA
• (2018) Demian DinéYazhi': The Brink, Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, Washington, USA
• (2019) R.I.S.E.: COLLECTIVE FURY, Recess, Brooklyn, New York, USA

Group Exhibitions

• (2016) Center for Contemporary Native Art, Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon, USA
• (2018) Between the Waters, Whitney Museum of American Art, Greenwich Village, New York, USA
• (2019) Unraveling Collective Forms, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), Hollywood, California, USA
• (2020) Nirin: 22nd Biennale of Sydney, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown, Australia

Honors and Awards

• The Henry Art Gallery's Brink Award (2017)
• The Hallie Ford Fellow in the Visual Arts (2018)
• The Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellow (2019)

The Brink Award

In 2017, DinéYazhi' won the Brink Award from the Henry Art Gallery. This award is for new artists under 35 who work in the Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia region.

DinéYazhi' received $12,500, a solo show at the gallery, and had one of their artworks added to the museum's permanent collection. The judges who chose them said they were impressed by how DinéYazhis art explores new ideas about what it means to be queer and Indigenous.