Nathaniel Ruleaux

Bio:

Nathaniel Ruleaux is an artist currently located on unceded land of the Umónhon & Očhéthi Šakówiŋ in Nebraska. A member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, his work combines modern art with traditional indigenous imagery. He is a Culture Work Fellow for ArtStock in Omaha, and founder of Unceded Artist Collective. Recently, he created work for the national Natives Vote 2020 campaign. In addition to creating visual art, he is a classically trained actor and educator. He received his MFA in Theatre from the University of Houston’s School of Theatre and Dance after receiving a BA in Theatre Performance at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Artist Statement:

Hi, I’m Nathaniel Ruleaux. I’m an artist currently located on the unceded land of the Umónhon & the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ in Nebraska. I like to paint and draw with whatever materials I have on hand. Those usually include inks, acrylics, pastels, watercolors and spray paint on watercolor paper and canvas. I also enjoy carving on wood and lino blocks to create original prints in my home studio. My work is an expression of my combined anger at our nation, a love of the people and the land, and dreams of what kind of world I want my child to grow up in. I’m a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. I often use bison as a symbol of the Lakota spirit, the power of our endangered natural world, and a righteous, powerful force for what America should be. I regularly combine other traditional Native images, like the ones used by my grandfather Donald D. Ruleaux, with images of current issues facing indigenous peoples and the world today. In addition to creating visual art, I’m also a classically trained actor. I received my MFA in Theatre from the University of Houston’s School of Theatre and Dance after I finished my BA in Theatre Performance at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.