Dakota Mace
Biography
Dakota Mace (Diné) is an interdisciplinary artist who focuses on translating the language of Diné history and beliefs. Mace received her MA and MFA degrees in Photography and Textile Design at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her BFA in Photography from the Institute of American Indian Arts. As a Diné (Navajo) artist, her work draws from the history of her Diné heritage, exploring the themes of family lineage, community, and identity. In addition, her work pushes the viewer's understanding of Diné culture through alternative photography techniques, weaving, beadwork, and papermaking.
She has also worked with numerous institutions and programs to develop dialogue on the issues of cultural appropriation and the importance of Indigenous design work. She is currently an MFA in Studio Arts Faculty at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Visiting Grad Advisor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the photographer for the Helen Louise Allen Textile Center and the Center of Design and Material Culture. Her work as an artist and scholar has been exhibited nationally and internationally at various conferences, collectives, museums, and galleries. She is represented by Bruce Silverstein Gallery in New York City.