About the Artist

Garrett Etsitty ( Dine’ ) was born and raised in Chinle, Arizona. Garrett grew up with a deep love of painting and culture. From the petroglyphs on the canyon walls to the stories passed down from his elders, his work draws upon the inspiration of what it means to be a Dine’ person. Garrett uses complex unions of vivid colors and layers to articulate an indigenous understanding of thought, creation, and ideology that moves beyond time and space. He presents a worldview that comes directly from the stories handed down by the elders of his tribe. Garrett’s paintings express an oneness with creation, an unbroken loop from the creation story of his people to the modern day. He is interweaving the parallels of the unconscious with the struggle of the natural environment. Garrett’s primary audience is the youth, and he believes his art will capture the young urban Indigenous minds to preserve culture.

“ My target audience has always been the youth. The youth are the ones who will carry our stories forward. I paint because of my love of painting and my love of my culture. I want to make our stories come alive. I want the viewer to feel like they can reach out and touch the stories  handed down.”

Garrett Etsitty has a widespread collection of works in the Southwest. For over a decade, he has worked collaboratively and individually on a variety of socially engaged interdisciplinary projects.