| Raven Halfmoon | |
| Birth Place: | Norman, Oklahoma, United States |
| Nationality: | Caddo Nation United States |
| Education: | University of Arkansas |
Raven Halfmoon (b. 1991) is a painter and sculptor from the Caddo Nation known for oversize clay-based sculptures.
A member of the Caddo Nation, Halfmoon grew up in Binger and Norman, Oklahoma. She was introduced to working with clay at the age of thirteen and was influenced by Caddo artist Jeri Redcorn. She studied at the University of Arkansas, graduating with a double Bachelor's Degree in cultural anthropology and ceramics and painting.[1] [2] Halfmoon completed two-year residency at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in 2021.[3]
Halfmoon's first solo exhibit, Okla Homma to Manahatta, debuted in 2021 at Ross+Kramer in New York City.[4] It was developed during her Bray Foundation residency.[5] The title of the show combined the Choctaw phrase for the Codo Nation with the Lenape word for Manhattan.[6] The collection consisted of ten large-scale pieces, some weighing upwards of 450 pounds and standing 6 feet tall.
Halfmoon at the age of thirteen was taught how to make clay vessels that were a part of her culture, by the Caddo elders such as Jeri Redcorn. Within her time At the start of her career, she attended the University of Arkansas, within that time frame there she was able to obtain two bachelor's degrees one in ceramics and the other in cultural anthropology. Her time in college allowed her to experiment, having a 3-ft kiln access she always tried to make big pieces of work, in her continued work she uses the coil method. During her time in college, her work had expanded in the Caddo traditions during the time of her classes, taking an anthropology class she learned more about her culture such as how the Olmec heads easter islands were made.
The artwork that she focuses on sculpting, which relies on using her ancestry in her Caddo nation, she uses her artwork to revisit old Caddo pottery traditions.
Bah'hatteno Nut'tehsi, (Red River Girl in Caddo), 2021.
The size of the piece comes out as 134.6 x 86.4 x 96.5 cm. Halfmoon features two women's heads facing outwards. the description of the image is a toned dark sculpture with white covered on the top of the head with two red marks of red dripping down the sculpture's face. The intent of the artwork Raven creates is imposing recognizable artwork that shows the artwork through the Caddo nation, to take away the idea of stereotypes about her culture. The current location of this sculpture is in the Ross + Kramer gallery in New York.
Natural Hands, Natural Rider, 2020
This sculpture that was set up is another representation of her culture in the artwork we see this clay sculpture made of a woman riding a horse. In the work that was put into this piece, Raven wanted to break the idea of the romanticized version of stereotypes of her culture and wanted to put out there the strength her work shows of the strong Caddo tribe women. This artwork was created to express her heritage made sure to put into her artwork the color red as it expressed through native American culture of the missing indigenous women who have gone missing who at the same time are those who are being silenced. The same materials used to create this piece used clay to make sure they hold together as one piece to be moved into the kiln and heated up together. Currently, the piece is 114.3 x 55.9 x 110.5 cm, currently located in the Ross + Kramer gallery in New York.
I'm A Covergirl Type Of Girl, 2017
Though most of Raven's artwork has reflected her culture, this artwork has reflected more modernized pieces of still a part of bringing in her cultural practice of the type of pottery artwork they use though this artwork has reflected more modern use. Within the same technique that she used to create her giant piece sculptures of the culture, she used clay to stack up her pieces so they could be fired all at once, though still holding a tribute of making giant pieces of work. The design of the sculpture is dark black stoneware, while red glaze was used on the top of it making the idea of lipstick and the height 30. 5 x 35.6 x 66 cm. The work currently resides in Kourri + Corrao Gallery in New mexico.
Escolin, Tara. "Past, Present, Future, Always: A Conversation with Artist Raven Halfmoon." Arkansas Times, 10 Nov. 2023, arktimes.com/rock-candy/2023/11/10/past-present-future-always-a-conversation-with-artist-raven-halfmoon. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.[11]
Maoli), J. Kēhaulani Kauanui (Kanaka. "'Clay. . . Lets You Leave Your Mark Exactly How You Put It down': An Interview with Raven Halfmoon: Forge Project." "Clay. . . Lets You Leave Your Mark Exactly How You Put It Down": An Interview With Raven Halfmoon | Forge Project, 30 Sept. 2023, forgeproject.com/forging/raven-halfmoon-interview. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.[12]
Raven Halfmoon - Artworks for Sale & More | Artsy, www.artsy.net/artist/raven-halfmoon. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.[13]
"Raven Halfmoon." American Craft Council, www.craftcouncil.org/recognition/raven-halfmoon. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.[14]
"Raven Halfmoon." Colección Solo, 19 Feb. 2022, coleccionsolo.com/artists/raven-halfmoon/. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.[15]
"Raven Halfmoon." Maake Magazine, www.maakemagazine.com/raven-halfmoon. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.[16]
"Raven Halfmoon." Ross + Kramer Gallery, www.rkgallery.com/artists/raven-halfmoon. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.[17]
"Raven Halfmoon." Tinworks Art, tinworks.squarespace.com/raven-halfmoon. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.[18]
"Raven Halfmoon: Contemporary Caddo Stories." Default, ceramicartsnetwork.org/ceramics-monthly/ceramics-monthly-article/raven-halfmoon-contemporary-caddo-stories#. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.[19]
"Raven Halfmoon: Flags of Our Mothers." The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, thealdrich.org/exhibitions/raven-halfmoon. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.[20]
Raven Halfmoon: New Monuments | Exhibitions - MutualArt, www.mutualart.com/Exhibition/Raven-Halfmoon--New-Monuments/730308B367FB81D1. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.[21]
Scott, Chadd. "Raven Halfmoon's Monumental Homage to Indigenous Women." Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 10 July 2023, www.forbes.com/sites/chaddscott/2023/07/06/raven-halfmoons-monumental-homage-to-indigenous-women/?sh=76a5f6316443. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.[22]
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