Billy Hensley

Billy Hensley exhibition

September 20, 2023

AWAKENING 2023, acrylic & hand stitched beadwork on canvas, 102cm x 40.5cm

Billy Hensley exhibition

21 September - 31 October

We are delighted to announce our latest

by Chickasaw artist Billy Hensley. In this visually rich and culturally significant solo show, Hensley presents a series of abstract paintings embellished with traditional Indigenous beadwork.

Born and raised in Oklahoma, Hensley is a self-taught artist who draws his inspiration from his life, the history of his family, the Chickasaw people and the world around him. Hensley works mainly in acrylic paint and experiments with a variety of mixed media and textures.

"It is a desire to connect that drives my work and my passion to create. I continuously strive to evolve in my work through experimentation with new techniques and processes.”

Several  paintings in this exhibition reference the Oklahoma  landscape. The textures symbolise Indigenous adornments, such as beadwork and the appliquéd ribbon shirts and ribbon skirts widely worn by Native tribes today. Such colourful attire is a way to celebrate and assert individual and collective Indigenous identity and combat the invisibility of Native people in the mainstream.

Following the success of Billy Hensley's solo exhibition 'BRIGHT PATH' at Rainmaker Gallery in 2019, we are delighted to show his most recent works. His new exhibition opens this Thursday and runs until the end of October.

Earrings by Pat Pruitt

Native Vogue

With the imminent release of “Killers of the Flower Moon” in cinemas worldwide next month, British Vogue magazine have aptly chosen lead actress Lily Gladstone for the cover of their October issue. The full cover story features the Kainai, Amskapi Piikani and Nimi’ipuu actress alongside her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio and showcases prominent Indigenous fashion designers and jewellers.

Amongst the talented designers featured is master metalsmith Pat Pruitt from the Chiricahua Apache and Laguna Pueblo tribes. Pat loves to collaborate with other Native artists and his oxidised zirconium earrings, worn by Lily Gladstone in the photoshoot, are a limited edition collab with fashion designer Jamie Okuma.

You can find an impressive selection of Pat Pruitt earrings right here at Rainmaker Gallery. Treat yourself to a pair of oxidised zirconium feather earrings and bring a little Vogue to your own wardrobe!

Kolowisi, by Jimmy Yawakia

New collections

Look out for the exciting new items of

and

acquired on our summer travels. 

The above image shows a carving of Kolowisi, the sacred Zuni water spirit. Kolowisi is the guardian of the water sources and can move around in aquifers and the underground streams.

The new collections are on display in the gallery and will be available on our website soon.

Meanwhile, call in to see the wonderful new exhibition anytime from Tuesday to Saturday or by appointment.

We look forward to welcoming you back to the gallery,Jo & Erin x