Mikayla Patton

Artist Statement
I am exploring matriarchal ideology by navigating its complexities through Lakota artistry, design and geometric forms. My work evokes cultural connection and personal navigation of my relationships to everything. Currently papermaking is a prominent part of my practice as I am curious about the texture of the paper’s surface and what it might provide in terms of its physicality as well as its symbolism. There are traces of its history, but mostly it has been washed out. I pulp the paper until it no longer resembles a document. I rarely make marks on the paper, but sometimes erase residue from burning or other treatments. The clean surface provides me with a sense of peace, a place to hide, a safe place for me. There is a sense of self embodiment in much of my works. When I use the paper to make other forms, such as boxes, they feel as though they were made from a handmade membrane. This version of skin is made from the seemingly endless stream of paper products flooding the landscape.

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