Jeffrey Gibson

Jeffrey Gibson is a painter and sculptor of Choctaw-Cherokee heritage. He is known for his works which combine elements of traditional Native American art with contemporary artistic references. Gibson's art deals with issues of identity and labels, oftentimes employing traditional Indigenous handcraft techniques into his art, such as Southeastern river cane basket weaving, Algonquian birch bark biting, and porcupine quillwork.

Gibson’s aesthetic is inspired by the traditional Native objects that filled his home growing up and, equally, by queer culture and nightlife. His work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions, including the 2019 Whitney Biennale and his 2019 solo show, "The Anthropophagic Effect," at the New Museum in New York. In 2024, Gibson represented the United States at the Venice Biennale, where he was the first Indigenous artist in 94 years to have a solo exhibition in the American pavilion. His Venice project interwove a Native American narrative with other histories of struggle and freedom. Two major new projects for him -- the facade commission for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and an exhibition at Mass MoCA -- have been announced.

Gibson also conceived and edited the book “An Indigenous Present,” a collection of more than 60 contemporary artists, photographers, musicians, writers and more, showcasing diverse approaches to Indigenous concepts, forms and mediums.

Gibson earned his BFA from the Art Institute of Chicago and his MFA from the Royal College of Arts. He is an artist-in-residence and professor at Bard College in New York.