MIKAYLA PATTON

Mikayla Patton (she/her) is a visual artist born and raised on the Pine Ridge Reservation of so-called South Dakota. Patton is a dual citizen of the United States and an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. In 2019, Patton obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with a focus in Printmaking, from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Papermaking has become a prominent aspect of Patton’s practice, encouraged by her curiosity of how the paper’s surface texture can provide context to her work, both physically and symbolically. While the paper is pulped until it no longer resembles a document, traces of its history remain. Rarely does she make marks on the paper, but at times erases residue from burning or other treatments. The clean surface provides Patton with a sense of peace, a place to hide, a safe place. There is a sense of self embodiment in most of her work. When she uses the paper to make other forms, such as boxes, they feel as though they are made from a handmade membrane. A version of skin made from the seemingly endless stream of paper products flooding the landscape.

Patton is represented by the Chiaroscuro Contemporary Gallery in Santa Fe. She has exhibited at the Texas Tech School of Art (Lubbock); All My Relations Gallery (Minneapolis); and the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans. Her work is included in private and public collections including the Denver Art Museum, Tia Collection, and Atka Lakota Museum. As of 2022, Patton has received the Artist in Business Leadership from First Peoples Fund; and LIFT: Early Career Support for Native Artists from Native Arts and Culture Foundation.