A family of four poses for a group portrait, two children in front, their parents’ heads cropped from the top. At a brief glance the image may seem like a typical painting, but looking longer, one notices something peculiar: the landscape merges into their bodies, as if the land and the people are one.

This is “I Carry A Doll II,” one of several portraits by artist Luanne Redeye, whose work is on display at the Tyler Art Gallery for its “Figuratively Speaking” exhibition. Redeye, a member of the Seneca Nation and Hawk Clan, considers Indigenous representation the foundation of her work.

“For my native folks who see my work, I want them to be seen and reflected in the work as well,” Redeye said.

Students carrying sketchbooks and pencils followed Redeye as she revealed the story behind her works, primarily portraits of her Indigenous friends and family. She explained how she put careful attention to the subtle details of body language and clothing of her subjects.

“You can tell a lot about a person without seeing their face,” she said.

Her piece “Steve and Princess” depicts her uncle Steve in a gray tank top outside a garage, proudly showing off his pet cat. Redeye said she often finds her uncle, the only male figure in her house growing up, smoking in his garage.

Jared Westcott, a student who attended Redeye’s artist talk, enjoyed “I Carry A Doll II.”

“It reminded me of an Aphex Twin album cover,” Westcott said. “Specifically what I liked was that she combined the foreground with the background.”

As advice to the students present, Westcott encouraged them to be confident in their work and to not resort to conformity.

“I felt at times just because of the larger art world, that my work didn’t fit,” Redeye said. “This is my unique style.”

She noted that some viewers comment that her subjects do not “look native.”  Her response?

“Well, they just are.”

Image by Luanne Redeye, “Elli”