The colorful copper plate etchings of Santa Clara Pueblo artist Helen Hardin (1943-1984) celebrate her Native heritage as well as modern interpretations and techniques. Hardin’s art was featured alongside paintings by her mother, Pablita Velarde, and sculptures by contemporary Santa Clara Pueblo artist Tammy Garcia.
Helen Hardin is considered by many to be one of the most significant contemporary Native American artists of the 20th century. Known for her strong sense of individualism and a modern, linear style, she rose to fame in the 1970s in a male-dominated art world. Hardin helped break boundaries in Native art at the time, moving away from traditional “flat style” figurative scenes and influencing a generation of artists.
I love my Indian heritage and I draw on it.
Helen Hardin
I use tradition as a springboard and go diving into my [art].