Mikayla Patton

Mikayla Patton. Annpa Kazanzan (Daylight Woman), 2019. Handmade paper, laser etching and cutting, sage, sinew. 12″ x 12″ x 24″. Photo courtesy of the artist.

The School for Advanced Research is pleased to welcome Oglala Lakota artist, Mikayla Patton, as the 2020 Ronald and Susan Dubin Native Artist Fellow. Patton is an early career artist and a recent graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). She  utilizes her passion and skills as both a papermaker and printmaker to collage Lakota line designs and symbols as a way to continue traditional art forms such as quillwork and beadwork. She explains that in her practice, she works to navigate traditional forms using new materials just as “modern Natives are forced to adapt to a forever changing environment.” Patton’s work is influenced by cultural healing, Native wellness, and feminine strength.

Mikayla Patton became interested in paper as a medium due to the fragile nature of the material, as well as its ability to hold forms. As a printmaker, much of her practice involves transferring images from plates to paper, and she is always experimenting with alternative printmaking methods.  She also frequently makes her own paper using both natural fibers and recycled scraps. In her words, she explained that “uplifting fragile material into two and three dimensional formations has pushed her to learn more about herself.”

While in residence at SAR, Patton will continue to focus on both papermaking and printmaking. She is particularly interested in exploring two different processes, which include bookmaking and the creation of a small installation of her handmade paper sculptures or three-dimensional forms. In her research for these projects, she plans to utilize both the SAR Indian Arts Research Center collection as well as other resources on bookmaking and papermaking. Within these two processes, Patton plans to explore topics of mental health, native healing, and feminine strength through practices and designs that are specific to Native women.  

Mikayla Patton will be in residence from June 15, 2020 to August 15, 2020.