One Was
White -- Bronze Sculpture (8 x 10 x
18 in) |
King
Kuka (1947 - 2004)
Kingsley "King" Kuka, was born on the
Blackfeet Reservation of Northestern
Montana. Among the first class of
artists to graduate from the Institute
for Native American Art in Santa Fe, he
influenced an entire younger generation
of Native American artists.
Kuka grew up on his family's ranch in
Birch Creek. But by high school, he left
to attend the art institute where he
sold his first painting. Kuka frequently
switched mediums, painting in oils and
most recently in pastels, sculpting and
even making jewelry. His poetry was
translated into various languages and
published. He coined the term
"Kuka-graph" -- prints on embossed paper
that would create a ghostlike image,
usually of an animal, in the background.
As a teacher, Kuka encouraged other
Indian artists to pursue their goals and
develop their own styles. Proud of his
Blackfeet heritage, Kuka completed a
stained glass work at the Catholic
Church in Browning.
Kuka's art was distinctive for its
symbolism and had a strong sense of
design and color, like other area
artists, Kuka's work was better known
outside the state. Though not as
well-known, his poetry as captured the
spirituality of his work. "I will send
my heart with the eagle carried on winds
of trust, to be blessed by the sun and
baptized in rain beneath nature's
rainbow altar." Although Kuka died at a
young age, he was a prolific artist and
left behind many works. |