Profiles of a Nation: Addison Karl from the Chickasaw Nation

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."

About: 'A thousand different voices call the Chickasaw Nation their own: artists, designers, engineers, and leaders echo a spirit of fortitude passed down from their ancestors. They are Chickasaw, a living embodiment of what it means to be different but unified. These are their lives: Profiles of a Nation.'