Alistair Andrew Bane - Southwestern Artist

Alistair Bane is a member of the Eastern Shawnee Nation of Oklahoma. He credits his father and grandmother with being the two strongest influences in his development as an artist. His grandmother, Henrietta Sylvia Stonebraker passed on a wealth of stories and history about his family. His father, Gary Stonebraker, an architect; taught him how to paint and draw at a young age and instilled in him the importance of social justice. These two influences have inspired him to often choose subject matters that speak to the continuing struggle of Indigenous people for basic human rights and sovereignty. Besides painting, Alistair is also a bead worker. His mixed media pieces often incorporate traditional Shawnee beadwork designs with images that reference modern day lives of Native people.

“Sometimes people view our culture and our arts as something that exists only in the context of the past. I want people to recognize that we are here and strong in the 21st century and to understand that our connection with our traditions is what gives us our strength.”