Stella Nall: ABSORBING
“Some of the imagery that I use is drawn from tradition, and some I developed to speak to my own experiences. I utilize these imagined creatures to discuss a wide variety of topics including love, grief, joy and identity.”
2022 Artist-in-Residence at
The University of Montana Alexander Blewett III School of Indian Law
"Shadows" Artwork created by Stella
How was your experience as an Open AIR Artist-in-Residence?
It was wonderful! I felt really encouraged and inspired by the Open AIR team and the cohort of other artists. This residency was very impactful for me because it helped reignite my engagement with Indian Law topics. Working on these topics can sometimes feel discouraging or like an uphill battle, and I had kind of drifted away from taking direct action and producing work on it for the past few years. It feels good to be engaging with this body of work again because it is very important to me.
Artwork created by Stella
What was your research process during this time?
My research was split between attending in-person classes at the University of Montana summer Indian Law Clinic, reading books, and spending time producing artwork and poetry informed by the content that I was absorbing. The course I took at UM looked at fundamental aspects of American Indian law and provided a basic understanding of core principles, both on the federal and tribal level. This helped to familiarize me with the development of foundational concepts in the area of Indian law, and the continuing impact of federal legislation and court actions on tribal governance structures and principles of sovereignty today. Although I have focused on some components of Indian law in my work before, my research up until this residency was self directed and limited to the issues that I have had direct contact with, such as enrollment policy. This was my first exposure to a law course of any kind, and it provided me with the opportunity to learn more about these topics in an academic space with peers and faculty who are experts. As part of the course I read the book Mastering American Indian Law by Angelique Townsend Eaglewoman and Stacy Leeds, which was a great resource to further familiarize myself with some of the terminology and content. Outside of the class, I listened to stories in Missoula from other community members who have been impacted by federal or tribal policies. I researched other Indigenous poets and visual artists who have engaged with some of the topics that I want to explore in my work.
Artwork created by Stella
What are you up to now (post Open AIR)?
I am working as a self-employed artist here in Missoula. I rent and work from a little space at VonCommon studios, and am represented by Radius Gallery. I have also continued working on the body of poetry that I started during my time as an artist in residence with Open AIR.
Artwork created by Stella
How would you describe your work?
As an artist I am driven by three primary forces: to process my experiences, to connect with others, and to advocate for change. I love to use vibrant colors to illustrate whimsical, sweet, imaginary creatures which tell a story. Some of the imagery that I use is drawn from tradition, and some I developed to speak to my own experiences. I utilize these imagined creatures to discuss a wide variety of topics including love, grief, joy and identity.
Tell us about your most recent solo exhibition?
My most recent solo exhibition was at the Kathrin Cawein Gallery of Art in Forest Grove, Oregon. It was my first time showing my work outside of Montana, and I was able to drive over there to help curate the space and see the gallery which was really exciting. The exhibition was titled “Being(s)” and featured a collection of multimedia creature paintings. It ran from October-November 2022.
Artwork created by Stella
Have your material choices changed over the years?
I was initially drawn to exploring a wide variety of materials out of curiosity. I have always enjoyed the process of learning new techniques and find it engaging to switch materials frequently. I still consider myself a multimedia artist and try to set aside some time for exploring new things, but now in my professional practice I primarily work in two styles: abstract paintings, and “creature creations” which utilize vibrant colors and detailed mark making to illustrate whimsical, sweet, imagined creatures that tell a story. For both styles, I employ unique techniques and materials to create the intricate mark making that is characteristic of my work. My abstract paintings start with a base of acrylic on canvas, and are embellished with graphite, beadwork, and found materials such as industrial staples, wool and leather. Each abstract piece stems from an experience, emotion or impactful time in my life. I begin by thinking of the very first memory of the matter, and then work forward through all of the thoughts, recollections and emotions up until the present. I work on a given piece until I have found some sort of peace within myself about it. This body of work acts as a venue for me to process my emotions, and enables me to deeply invest energy into my other work as a studio artist. The “creature creations” vary in media, and emerge as illustrative work on paper, beadwork, relief prints, wood carved acrylic paintings, and murals. I utilize these imagined creatures to discuss a wide variety of topics including love, grief, joy and identity. Much of my recent illustrated work draws from my experiences navigating the world, and focuses on current issues pertaining to Indigenous identity, visibility and representation. Some of the imagery I use is drawn from tradition, and some I developed to speak to my own experiences. This work often contains humor, as I think laughter is a great way to bring people together. Over the years, media has become an important aspect of my work. I combine beadwork with other two dimensional forms of art-making such as printmaking, painting, and illustration with the intention of challenging existing stereotypes and expectations viewers may hold about what Indigenous art should look like. I hope to expand popular interest in traditional Indigenous art forms by tying them to familiar techniques commonly used by non-Indigenous artists.In addition to incorporating beadwork into some of my paintings, I also employ a process that is inspired by relief printmaking. I use acrylic paint to create the creature, and carving tools to carve the creatures’ texture into the surface after painting.
Artwork created by Stella
When did you first begin working with this medium, media?
As a child my mother first exposed me to art through her beadwork. I started learning to bead at a really young age, and I wish that I had continued with it until now. Unfortunately though, growing up in a predominantly white community, as a kid I often felt ‘othered’ and was ashamed of our culture for many years. I stopped beading and did not revisit learning from my mother until I was in late highschool and began reconnecting with my identity. For this reason, I still feel pretty new to beadwork and have a lot left to learn. It has been healing to incorporate beadwork into my work today, connect with my culture and reclaim my identity in this way. I began experimenting with wood carving on acrylic paintings during my first residency with Open AIR in 2020, and it has become an integral part of my studio work. I started making abstract paintings while studying at the University of Montana 2015-2020.
Artwork created by Stella
To learn more about Stella, visit her website www.stellanall.com & check out her Instagram @stella.nall
