Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds (Cheyenne/Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho)
“Columbus Day,” 2019-2020
Columbus Day was created in response to research conducted from a trip to the Dominican Republic, as well as many years of empathy towards the immense destruction brought by Columbus to this indigenous hemisphere.
”Water is Your Only Medicine,” 2019-2020
Water is Your Only Medicine, these words came from the Standing Rock siege to protect wonderful rivers and our renewal of existence via water. As we begin as gestated children in the womb to drinking Mahpe and growth of exquisite life through it’s daily irreplaceable support, water must remain our primary homage.
“Why is Immigration Dictated by Foreigners?,” 2019-2020
Why is Immigration Dictated by Foreigners?, this artwork comments on the tragic actions of the U.S. republic in harming so many people and children of color. The behavior to restrict and penalize those involved in immigrating is such a paradox when one considers that all the U.S. lawmakers (including the former president) are themselves foreign to Turtle Island.
“Our Red Nations Were Always Green,” 2019
Our Red Nations Were Always Green, North America is home to over 1000 Native Nations. Each of these large and precious communities is incredibly humble and respectful to our host, the natural world. The citizens of these Native Nations express great care towards the planet and defer to Earth as the more important entity. As in the sacred pipe ceremony the Earth should always smoke first.
Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds, Native Hosts (Video 6:14 min)
Subject Matters: Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds (Video 4:50 min)
Edgar Heap of Birds “Pandemic Oral History Project,” Archives of American Art, 2020 (Video: 24:49 min)
Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds’ Bio
Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds is a leader of the Cheyenne Elk Warrior Society, an Elder, and Medicine Man. He is also a historian, professor and basketball enthusiast. His artistic aesthetic includes conceptual text art, public works, abstraction, and personal, creative explorations.
Heap of Birds takes a two-pronged approach using his art to speak truth about Native Americans in this settler state. First, he honors the history and the spirit of Native people with his public art and his printmaking; second, he focuses his aesthetic investigations into sensuality, and abstraction. With this two-pronged approach Heap of Bird says he doesn’t serve the white man's interest or fascination in Native people. As he states, this ensures that via his work, "We're seen as both individuals, and also as a collective Native people." He goes on to state, "Being Native isn't a head-space. It isn't like a 'mood' I got, or I'm in a mood for it."
For Heap of Birds being a Cheyenne/Arapaho Elder means giving back to the tribe; to be tribal means taking care of one another. The knowledge of the traditional ways must be shared with future generations. A part of his work as a culture bearer is transferring historical knowledge to younger men so that they can carry on.
Heap of Birds' first text-based, conceptual art project, a billboard in Times Square entitled In Our Language, was created in the 1980s. This particular genre, whether in his public art or, in museums and galleries is a way of confrontation. The message(s) of his work cannot be denied or deflected by the viewer. According to Heap of Birds by using words, once they're read, they've already internalized. Even if viewers turn away they still have to deal with what their brains have visually received.
Heap of Birds is a lover of all things ‘basketball.’ Whether playing streetball in his youth, to now being a season ticket holder for the Oklahoma City Thunder, he is seriously into the game. One of his new projects is with the New York City-based nonprofit Project Backboard. Project Backboard is responsible for invigorating neighborhoods by redesigning public basketball courts with imagery from large-scale artworks. They've chosen two of Heap of Birds' paintings for two separate basketball courts in Queens. The project is scheduled for completion for next year in 2022.
*Edgar's cover page photo credit: Ted West
Website: https://eheapofbirds.com/
Email: eheapofbirds@yahoo.com