{"id":3817,"date":"2016-07-25T22:39:07","date_gmt":"2016-07-25T22:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thesignaturegallery.com\/?page_id=3817"},"modified":"2018-10-24T23:59:49","modified_gmt":"2018-10-24T23:59:49","slug":"james-ayers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thesignaturegallery.com\/artists\/james-ayers\/","title":{"rendered":"James Ayers"},"content":{"rendered":"

James Ayers<\/h1>

Painter of Historic Native American Cultures<\/b>
\r\nMy paintings are more than just a slice of Native American history. They are the result of years of research combined with personal exploration and observation. I study historic artifacts, research customs and rituals, and marry these with ... more<\/a><\/span>Painter of Historic Native American Cultures<\/b>
\r\nMy paintings are more than just a slice of Native American history. They are the result of years of research combined with personal exploration and observation. I study historic artifacts, research customs and rituals, and marry these with my understanding of the struggles of modern Native American cultures. I have to ask:
\r\nIn the face of inevitable change, my mission is to honor the customs and beauty of traditional cultures through my paintings.
\r\nTwenty Years of Research<\/b>
\r\nShortly after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1991, I began a pattern of traveling, living, and working with indigenous peoples worldwide that continues to the present day. In the course of my exploration and research, I have had the honor of experiencing dozens of tribal customs and cultures, including
\r\nThe semi-nomadic Samburu and Turkana people in Africa's Great Rift Valley
\r\n -\tNative American reservations from Maine to Arizona, where I lived with the Iroquois in the Northeast, the Sioux in the Great Plains, and the Hopi in the Southwest.
\r\n -\tThe Arapaho Sundance Ceremony during a visit to the Wind River Reservation in Ethete, Wyoming.
\r\n -\tTraditional Navajo weavers and sheepherders at the historic Toadlena Trading Post region of the Navajo reservation in New Mexico
\r\nAuthentic Details<\/b>
\r\nMost of my paintings are fictionalized accounts of Native American lifeways rather than literal representations of specific events. Yet, I make sure that every facet of my work is historically correct from the style of a man's plaited hair to the weapons used and even the motifs which decorate tipis, clothing, and shields.
\r\nOut of respect and honor for the people and cultures I paint, I strive to achieve the utmost honesty and authenticity I can attain. I have a belief that this authenticity provides a more poignant impression for the viewer.
\r\nA Little About Me<\/b>
\r\nI get asked frequently if I am Native American. I am not.
\r\nMy ancestry is typical of most Americans and spans all corners of the globe. I was adopted as an infant by a Greek-American family in Boston and have African American, German, and Welsh roots.
\r\nAs a person with a multicultural background, I am deeply aware of the importance in accuracy when portraying a specific culture. I take great care to make sure the American Indian cultures I represent in my paintings are authentic and respectful\" not only to the historical figures I paint, but also to the living descendants of these peoples.
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Artist Video<\/h4>\n

In The Signature Gallery Santa Fe<\/h2>