ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: BILLY HENSLEY
Billy Hensley is an artist living and working in Norman, Oklahoma. He is a member of the Chickasaw Nation, raised in Sulphur Oklahoma. He gains inspiration from his life, the history of his family, and the Chickasaw people. He often incorporates objects and images of historical significance into his works and has participated in numerous native art competitions and markets, as well as participating in a number of traveling exhibitions including, Visual Voices, Chiefs, Clans and Kin, and Collective Wisdom. His work is shown in several galleries including Exhibit C Gallery in OKC, Wildfire Gallery in OKC, The Vault Gallery in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, and Fahrenheit in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Billy’s ability to bring modern Chickasaw culture and artwork into the mainstream by creating paintings that incorporate native Chickasaw Culture with unique techniques is demonstrated through his Mahota Textile’s Artist Collection Blanket titled Ascension.
“I desire to help bring Chickasaw artists into the global art community through art that incorporates history and tradition with relevance to the present. I continuously strive to evolve in my work through experimentation with new techniques and processes.”
ASCENSION
This abstract design symbolizes our rising. In the Chickasaw creation story, the Crawfish dove into the water to build the first land mass at the bottom of the ocean, and life ascended from there. The golden-brown stripes represent the earth’s mass, and the blue represents the ever-important water that we need to sustain life. The red symbolizes the blood of our people as we were created, as well as the blood we have shed throughout our history. The deep shades of red, blue, and golden brown combined with various textures create a work of art you see, feel, and enjoy.