háu èm [bóiñhyômdàu?
Antonia Belindo
(b. 1992, Oklahoma)
Kiowa Tribe / Pawnee Nation / Navajo Nation / Choctaw Nation
University of Oklahoma, BFA, 2015
Antonia Belindo resides in Oklahoma where she concentrates on rendering traditional stories, ideologies, and symbolism through her personal interpretations. Her dynamic imagery and mark making is executed by hand on stretched canvas, paper, non-traditional utilitarian forms such as umbrellas, metal storage cases, or any item she self-proclaims as a medium.
Foundational to Antonia’s life, there was always a deep emphasis on family and cultural identity that has contributed to her body of work and designs. Antonia is the daughter of Barry Belindo (Kiowa, Pawnee, Navajo, Choctaw) and the late Arlene Poolaw Belindo (Kiowa). The knowledge of her identity was formed in her childhood by the close relationships with her maternal grandmother Lucille Poolaw Big Bow (Kiowa) and paternal grandmother Julia Bayhylle (Pawnee, Choctaw) and paternal grandfather Dennis Belindo (Kiowa, Navajo). Her maternal grandfather Pierce Justin Poolaw passed prior to her birth.
Understanding these relationships and lineage created a non-western, postcolonial perspective of the world around us through connection and respect. Her work speaks of her life experiences as a daughter, granddaughter, sister, and aunt.
With the influence of her artisan grandfather Dennis and the bead and featherwork of her father Barry added to the impactful work ethic of her mother Arlene, Antonia was challenged to build compositions filled with vigorous use of color integrated with technical patterns referenced from her traditional culture.
Antonia has been active in multiple exhibitions, teaching capacities, and featured in numerous spaces as a live painter.