Urban Native

ELLSWORTH GALLERY

Aug 27 2021 - Nov 07 2021

"Urban Native" begins and ends with the fervor of energy Tsosie channels when at the canvas. Marks and strokes bound across these paintings before plunging down into the souls of the figures represented, often Native men captured in moments of either composure or anguish with cityscapes at their backs, leaning on their shoulders. One is brought inward, as layers of color and space rupture these scenes before putting them back together, resulting in the sensation that these paintings are in many different junctures of time at once. Thoughts and emotions coalesce as representations of the urbanization of Native people, an experience familiar to Tsosie as a Navajo man living in an urban environment.

Based in Albuquerque and still fresh off a brief stint in New York City, Tsosie has been creating his own personal style of abstraction, made up of colors inspired by the New Mexican landscape and the turbulent rhythms of the city. Emanating, ultimately, is the lyrical expression of Tsosie, his imagination, and heart.