Detail and quality are the trademarks of this fine artist’s work. Jamie Okuma began her vocation making extravagant attire in which to attend powwows, but these efforts quickly turned into a successful career creating wearable art. These meticulously beaded and quilled Louboutin shoes are Okuma’s way of reimagining Native couture. Okuma had planned on working in the fashion industry, then became very successful as a beadworker. Now blending both worlds, she works in traditional forms and couture.
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From the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery website:
“Women have long been the creative force behind Native American art, yet their individual contributions have been largely unrecognized, instead treated as anonymous representations of entire cultures. ‘Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists’ explores the artistic achievements of Native women and establishes their rightful place in the art world.”
Best to view in "Original" because other versions resized by Pbase are decidedly unsharp.
‘Dress,’ Apsáalooke (Crow) artist, c. 1930, posted earlier: