In these two new paintings, I’m exploring the interplay of desert landscapes and memory. Each hatch line is a reflection of my connection to the land, capturing not just its vast vistas but the living stories embedded in every grain of sand. I’m honored to share these works at the 67th Annual Indian Fair & Market at the Heard Museum, where tradition meets innovation in Native American Contemporary Painting. Through layered color and modern interpretation, these pieces honor heritage while embracing new perspectives. I invite you to experience the vivid intersection of desert life and cultural identity in each stroke.

Discover Addison Karl’s newest installation at Exhibit C Gallery’s new location within OKANA. Crafted from 78 unique copper panels, this monumental facade celebrates Chickasaw mound culture with vibrant patinas ranging from deep reds to jade greens, embodying the intersection of heritage and artistry.

Contemporary Painting: In 'Biomass,' Seattle's wild spirit defies the rise of concrete and steel, capturing the tension between nature's ancient rhythms and the relentless march of urbanization. This piece is more than art—it's a dialogue, a love letter, and a challenge to see beyond the city's modern facade and reconnect with the untamed beauty that still pulses beneath. Explore the delicate dance between the natural and the constructed in this vivid homage to Seattle’s enduring soul.

Our Artist Talk with multi-award-winning Native American artist Addison Karl is exceptional. Learn about his unique creative and geographical journey from Denver, Colorado, to Murano Glass Sculpture in Italy.

Chickasaw and Choctaw heritage is important to Addison Karl. His complex sculptures are the product of extensive research and cross-disciplinary approaches to materials, concepts, and processes. Innovative patinas make his bronze pieces look like turquoise jewels. This reflects turquoise's prominence in Indigenous art and my Arizona upbringing.

Since connecting in Europe, Karl has studied glass casting with Murano glass master Giorgio Giuman. Venetian glass trade beads were crucial to Indigenous-European interactions, as shown in Addison Karl's magnificent sculptures.

Rainmaker Gallery welcomes Addison Karl to Bristol.

Have you ever had a story's words seep into the recesses of your psyche, resonating with a luring melody? That's the enchanting power I aim to convey through my works of art, and it's what I've put into "Kulli: A Natural Spring of Artwork, Sculpture, Painting, Drawing, Public Art and Inspiration."

This fascinating adventure delves into my artistic universe as a Chickasaw and Choctaw artist, where I tell stories via all sorts of mediums. Tradition and innovation dance mesmerizingly in my art, which ranges from vivid contemporary paintings that illuminate surfaces to stunning sculptures made of glass and bronze.

Aesthetics aside, "Kulli" is an invitation to the recesses of my process and inspiration, where ethereal tales unfurl like whispers in the wind. Identity, the natural world, and the deep profound connections that bind us all.

Public Artwork for the new Exhibit C Gallery - “In the intricate interplay of forms and symbols within this artwork, we forge a powerful visual and spiritual connection between generations. It becomes a bridge that spans time, offering us glimpses into the visual world our ancestors inhabited and continue to contribute to through our hands and voices. This dialogue with the past reinforces the timelessness and enduring relevance of our cultural heritage, reminding us of the profound wisdom and value contained within our artistic traditions. Evoking the poignant notion that our traditions and artistic expressions have always been at the forefront of contemporary thought.” - Chickasaw Nation-owned Exhibit C Gallery will open a new 10,000-square-foot multi-use gallery space in 2025 within the Horizons District.

Embark on a journey into the heart of 'Yohbi,' a glass sculpture that dances on the edge of reality and imagination. Peeling back the layers of 'Yohbi,' revealing a narrative steeped in artistry, human spirit, and cultural dialogue. Experience how this Murano marvel transcends boundaries, resonating with the soul and offering a glimpse into the timeless dance between the artist and the observer.

A symbolic representation of the Jay Bird, a celestial courier in my culture bridging our world with the spirit realm. This sculpture transcends the physical, venturing into the spiritual, reflecting the bird's qualities of communication, intelligence, and vigilance. Each 'Tishkila' is not just a sculpture, but a narrative etched in glass, a cultural homage that resonates with the echoes of my heritage, embodying the spirit of the Jay Bird and the mastery of Murano glassmaking.

The creation of this contemporary painting and public art project centers on the abstraction of the composition, deriving inspiration from the realms of gesture and nature in terms of both technique and color palette. Upon application to the building's facade, the concept materializes as a series of expansive color waterfalls. The interweaving of hatch lines, distortions, and mechanical imperfections within the paint embodies the artist's emotions and energy, while the juxtaposition of colors and textures gives rise to a singular visual experience. The fusion of mechanical and gestural techniques gives birth to a dynamic, layered work that captivates the viewer through its chromatic and textural transitions, progressing from the cool, dark blues and violets at the base to the warm, light reds and oranges above.

Artist Trust has announced their 2023 Fellowship Awards, and I’m very honored to be one of the Recipients.

From Artist Trust: ‘They are proud to announce the recipients of sixteen unrestricted Fellowship Awards for Washington State artists, the most in our 36-year history! Congratulations to visual artists Sarah Barnett, Priscilla Dobler Dzul, Jacinthe Demmert, Tammie Dupuis, Reinaldo Gil Zambrano, Addison Karl, Hanako O'Leary, and Io Palmer; performing artists Amanda Morgan, William Satake Blauvelt, Jeffrey Moidel, and Jacqueline Wilson; multidisciplinary artist Olivia Thomas; and literary artists Jordan Alam, Natalie Martinez, and Jen Soriano.

They are excited to have increased our available awards this year. Prior to the pandemic, they granted an average of nine unrestricted Fellowship Awards annually. This year, a total of $160,000 will reach sixteen artists across seven counties in Washington State, representing our continued work to increase support and elevate artists as community leaders that keep Washington State vibrant!

Exploring a stunning piece of art, crafted from Murano glass using modern glass techniques and traditional Chickasaw symbolism. The central motif of the work is the counter-clockwise spiral, which represents the eternal flow of water and the fluidity of existence. The captivating line work of the sculpture is created by the meticulous recasting of beads back into the glass, producing a mesmerizing interplay of light and texture. The lost wax technique ensures the uniqueness of each piece, giving the sculpture its own unique life and energy.

Combining traditional techniques of Murano glass casting with the use of beadwork, specifically traditional beadwork of regalia. This blend of tradition and innovation is exemplified in the use of glass beads, a material brought over by European traders and traditionally used by our Native Nations in regalia and traditional dress. I create molds of my sculptures and use the lost wax process to cast the entire sculpture in glass, paying attention to color theory and the use of light and color influences from turquoise stone to bring my sculptures to life. Each piece is a tribute to the rich heritage and cultural significance of these art forms, as well as a celebration of the creative possibilities they offer. My sculptures reflect my passion for preserving and evolving traditional art forms.

'Sholop' is utilizing architecture to help transform the structure into an Inhabited Sculpture. Keeping the long term in mind for those using the building daily - to always find something new about the artwork. A perspective, color combination choice, lighting, the experience of the day & night light, and movement of interaction. Making the artwork three-dimensional on a large scale so the viewer is engaged in exploring the artwork.

With the support of the Chickasaw Nation to feature our musicians, artists, and performers who have expressed the strength and beauty of the Chickasaw Nation.

Meet Our People – The Enduring Spirit of the Chickasaw Nation:

Contemporary visual artist Addison Karl draws upon his Chickasaw heritage to create unique and thought-provoking sculptures, murals, paintings, illustrations, and art installations. "There isn't a single day that goes by that I don't try to measure my actions as something my grandfather would approve of," he says. "So I think that ancestral voice is really in the back of my head because he had such an interesting mind, to really observe nature and what was around him." Today, he honors his grandfather by using his original Chickasaw dictionary to name his artwork. Karl's persistence and self-determination are evident in the trajectory of his career as he finds more opportunities and continually expands his artistic repertoire. "There's something hereditary that's been passed down in the DNA. Perseverance means we're still here taking care of our own business and I think this is really incredible."

For the first time in over 200 years, Indigenous Stickball will be played by native nations on traditional Muscogee Land in the heart of Atlanta. Organized by Chickasaw and Choctaw member, Addison Karl, in collaboration with Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. and Emory University, the Southeast Woodlands Stickball Summit will showcase the history and future of the game to the public.

My large-scale oil paintings will be on view for the first time in the US along with a new series of my Bronze Sculptures created during my Amazon Residency earlier this year.

Arts and Culture Awards 6:30 p.m. CDT , Thursday, September 29th

Anoli' Theater - Chickasaw Cultural Center 867 Charles Cooper Memorial Rd. Sulphur, OK 73086

SEASAM (Southeastern Art Show & Market) 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. CDT, Friday & Saturday, September 30th & October 1st

Capitol GroundsWest 411 W 9th St. Tishomingo, OK 73460

Working in Murano, Venice - to tell new stories with my sculpture work. Gordana's insight gave way to the connection of the infamous studio owned by Giorgio Giuman. The Glass Foundry of Giorgio was started in the 1980s. Along with the very historical tradition of Murano Glass Blowing, Giorgio went another direction with glass, the direction of lost wax glass casting. He became a master of techniques to achieve the highest skill of glass casting. His ability to combine the historic traditions with the modern innovative brought his Foundry into its own specialized class for Murano.

Venice – Lunardelli has been a delight to collaborate with for my recent exhibition of Bronze Sculptures and Paintings. Having a forum to tell our Chickasaw and Choctaw stories to international visitors and art lovers has been incredible. Native art has always been contemporary during its time of creation, the storytelling, creation, and culture have been passed down for 1000s and 1000s of years. It’s the inspiration and reference point within my work to tell these stories, a continuation of this very tradition and heart.

Venice – Lunardelli is pleased to present a collaborative exhibition of new and recent bronze sculpture and painting works by Native American artist Addison Karl, alongside the artesian work of Lunardelli at its Calle Seconda del Cristo, 2210a, 30125, in Venice. On view from the 2nd to the 30th of June, Addison’s first exhibition in Venice features bronze sculpture and painting works that reflect traditional Chickasaw and Choctaw methods of creating. Initiated on blank paper, notes, and sketches, the works find themselves on canvas, sculpture, installation, and embedded in public space. Addison shares his people’s stories through a figurative narrative, while using traditional materials, beadwork, patterns, and perseverance references - perseverance in the face of hardship may be the unifying characteristic of native peoples. Deeply informed by histories of cultural production in Chickasaw and Choctaw heritage, the artist’s work unites traditional methodologies, establishing new dialogues across time, place, and medium.

Interview and Article by Heather Clavé:

Addison Karl is no stranger to the Atlanta BeltLine. The Chickasaw and Choctaw visual artist collaborated on a project for Art on the Atlanta BeltLine with public mural artist Emmanuel Jarus in 2015, and their subsequent collaboration for the 2016 Exhibition, Purple Rain, can still be enjoyed on the Northeast Trail. For the Art on the Atlanta BeltLine 2021-2022 Exhibition, Addison Karl shows us the diversity of his artistic range with the cast-iron sculpture, Itti’ kapochcha to’li’.