Luzene Hill facts for kids

Caroline Luzene Hill (born 1946) is a Native American artist. She is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Luzene Hill creates art using different methods, like performances and installations. Her art often explores important topics. She uses art to show the strength and healing power of creativity.

She is well-known for her work called Retracing the Trace (2011-2015). This art piece explored difficult experiences. It showed how art can help people understand and heal from challenges. Hill's art often focuses on the feelings caused by tough situations. It also highlights the power of art to help people recover. Her artwork has been shown in many countries. These include Canada, Russia, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

Early Life and Education

Caroline Luzene Hill received her name "Luzene" from her Cherokee grandmother. She grew up in Atlanta with her European mother's family. Hill shared that her father's parents went to Carlisle Indian Industrial School. There, they were punished for speaking their native language. Because of this, her grandparents did not teach Cherokee to their children. However, they still taught them to be proud of their heritage.

Hill started studying art in her early thirties. But she did not fully focus on art until her late forties. This was because of family duties. In 2006, she moved to Western North Carolina. She wanted to focus on her art. She also wanted to learn more about her Cherokee background. She hoped to learn the endangered Cherokee language.

Hill earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2012. She studied at Western Carolina University. Her project Retracing the Trace was part of this degree. While creating Retracing the Trace, Hill found inspiration. She looked at other women artists. These artists also explored themes of difficult experiences. Some of them include Suzanne Lacy, Kara Walker, and Tracey Emin.

Artistic Works and Themes

Luzene Hill's art explores challenging experiences. It also shows the healing power of art. Her first art show was in 1997. It was called In de Soto's Path. This show happened at the Santa Fe Indian Market.

One of her installations featured Hill lying among many red cords. These cords were tied into special quipu knots. Over ten days, Hill returned to the gallery. She moved and attached each knotted cord to the walls. This created a new pattern around the space. It was a pattern of her own making.

Hill uses a special red dye called carmine in her art. This dye gives her works a bright crimson red color. This color is often seen in her pieces. Carmine dye comes from tiny female cochineal insects. These insects produce the dye to protect themselves from predators. This idea of protection connects to the main themes in Hill's art. Indigenous cultures in South America used this dye long ago. They used it in protection ceremonies and for making protective objects.

In 2015, Hill received two important art fellowships. One was from the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. The other was from the First Peoples Fund. After this, Hill worked with Frank Brannon of Speakeasy Press. They created a special art book called Spearfinger. This book was printed only in Cherokee syllabary. Hill learned about the Spearfinger story from a book by James Mooney. Spearfinger is a scary character from Cherokee myths.

Hill met Cherokee Nation artist Brenda Mallory in 2015. Two years later, they had a joint art show. It was called Connecting Lines. This show was at the Portland Art Museum.

In 2019, Hill received another honor. She got the Ucross Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists.

Personal Life

Luzene Hill is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Her personal experiences have greatly influenced her art. They especially shaped her famous work, Retracing the Trace.