Sean McCoy

I come from a longline of Choctaw story tellers, as such, many stories have been entrusted to me to safeguard and share with the next generation so that my peoples’ history won’t be forgotten. For many years I have been fascinated by the relationship between the individual and the culture they inhabit. My work comes from a desire to connect the old and discarded with the current in a way that visually asks questions and creates discussions. To this end, I cut apart old paintings on canvas and hand sew them into a larger quilt consisting of geometric patterns and figural work that is painted over with oil, acrylic, and oil pastels.

My process pays tribute to the craftswomen and men who taught me to sew and work with my hands, and the use of my hand is an integral component of my work. The subject of the painting varies from contemporary to past issues, both at the community and personal level, and dictates how the canvas is sewn together. Once assembled, the canvas remains unstretched and is covered with oil paint. Stylistically, I work to reject tropes and expectations of what constitutes Native American art in favor of creating pieces that are uniquely mine as an individual, contemporary Native American artist.