Nationality
American Lakota, Dakota, Chippewa, Metis
Preview
Date of Work
2019
Medium
Digital drawing printed on canvas
Signature
Bottom right
Height
16"
Width
16"
Depth
1 1/2"
Collection/Provenance
Contemporary Indigenous Art Collections: Student Government Collection
Status
Pulled for exhibition
Location
UND Art Collections Repository
Artist Bio
Brien graduated from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, in 2011 with a degree in history with minors in philosophy and geography. Since 2011, Brien has resided in the city of Bismarck, ND.
In 2016, Brien found his love and passion for art because of his wife, Geri. Geri was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. In early 2015, Geri was cancer free, but by the end of 2015, the cancer had returned and spread. Geri fought the cancer with courage, hope, and love, and that inspired Brien to share her story through art. Brien's wife was an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Lakota in SD.
Brien is a self-taught artist. He calls himself "a digital cell phone artist." His chosen medium is digital art, using his cell phone as his canvas to create all his work. Brien can create anywhere, when inspired.
Brien’s art has been displayed around various North Dakota art galleries: Bismarck Art & Galleries Association, Bismarck Downtown Artist Cooperative, Gallery 4 in Fargo, ND and the Red Door Art Gallery in Whapeton, ND.
Brien had a piece in the 2019 Bring Her Home: Stolen Daughters of Turtle Island Art Exhibit at the All My Relations Art Gallery in Minneapolis, MN.
Brien participated in the 2020 Online Heard Museum Indian Art Market and won first place in the Photography and 2D category at the 2021 Red Earth Festival Juried Art Show in Shawnee, OK.
Brien participated in the 2022 Santa Fe Indian Art Market in Santa Fe, NM, the 2022 and 2023 Gift of Mother Earth Art Show at Crazy Horse Monument in South Dakota, the 2022 Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City, OK, and the 2024 Colorado Indian Art Market, in Denver, CO.
Brien created the award for Recovery Reinvented 2021, an initiative created by the First Lady of North Dakota, Kathryn Bergum
Brien’s work can also be seen at area pow-wow's during the summer months. Brien is also a noted clothing designer. Brien applies his art to clothing. From skirts and dresses to hoodies and hats people from different walks of life can be seen wearing his creations.
The highlight of Brien’s art career is being recognized by the Bismarck Cancer Center at its annual Hope Giver’s Extraordinaire Banquet. Brien was recognized for donations made to the Bismarck Cancer Center from art sales in honor of his late wife, Geri. Geri made her Heavenly journey on May 1, 2018, after a four year battle with breast cancer.
Additional Information
Two birch bark canoes floating in water, implying they are being used to harvest wild rice.
From the artist:
This piece depicts the harvesting of wild rice using birch bark canoes. This is the traditional way of harvesting rice used by a number of tribes including the Chippewa, Cree, and Ojibwa.
What captured my curiosity doing this piece was not only the skill it took to construct birch bark canoes, but also to know when and where to harvest the wild rice. I was really awed contemplating the knowledge that was learned and passed down from generation to generation. Wild Rice is considered a gift by the tribes that harvested it.
I had pictured in my mind a whole host of birch bark canoes gliding through calm waters and "knocking" the wild rice into the canoes. The canoes were all filled to capacity slowly making their way to shore. A simple as that sounds, that really inspired the piece.
"Knocking" the rice into the canoe was just the beginning of a long process of harvesting. The beginning part of harvesting is what this piece represents. It also represents a much simpler way of life.
Condition
Excellent
