Sarah Rowe
Lakota artist Sarah Rowe confronts issues regarding self-identity and exploitation, and re-imagines traditional Native American symbology and dream images to fit the narrative of today’s cultural landscape. Drawing from skewed imagery in storybooks and history books, in conjunction with images from historical winter counts, Sarah projects her vision and experience into the mix with an offbeat enchantment. Rowe’s imagined landscapes are bold and vibrant, containing a shape shifting bestiary layered in tales both familiar and strange.
Starting Out
Sarah Rowe is the first artist in residence for Native Neon, a Walker Youngbird Foundation program developed in partnership with Lite Brite Neon Studio. The program supports Indigenous artists who are new to neon, with hands-on instruction, collaborative fabrication, and full production support.
Native Neon is built around experimentation rather than career stage. It gives artists the time, expertise, and resources to turn a vision into a finished neon work, along with knowledge they keep for future work.
In the Studio
During her residency, Sarah is making her first work in neon: a ten-foot Heyoka, the sacred clown of the Lakota. The studio cut the metal forms from her drawings, and Sarah is adding the hand-painted and luminous details herself. It is the first work produced through the program.
“The playful nature of neon works really well with this figure. This explosion of color is just so joyful.”
Follow Sarah's work
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