Portraits of the Blackfeet

Exhibit by Melanie Alvarez-Home Gun

“I am a figurative painter. I am concerned with the human condition. Many of my pieces are portraits. I am drawn to the expression of an individual that shows endurance, strength, perseverance and gentleness. I use models to paint and my style is representative of indigenous people. I believe that we are all indigenous in that we all come from a particular land that we are tied to at some point in our histories.”


Weaver Room Gallery
August 30 – November 22, 2019


Artist Statement

“I strive to paint the raw side of life where my people are connected to the earth, filled with the spirit of life, and are part of the earth. I believe that in this age of technology, many of our societies have become disconnected from the earth and are mostly relying on science to answer all of our great mysteries. My paintings reflect a feeling towards a reconnection to this earth, to our feelings and emotions, to the great mysteries and the unknowing, to the spirit of life that guides each one of us, and the faith in the unseen.

My paintings are symbolic to me of the beauty that I see in mankind in the rawness of his/her existence as people once were in lost tribes, civilizations and communities that once were reliant on the land, gaining a great respect for the earth, all of its creatures and man, and of its Creator.”– Melanie Alvarez-Home Gun