Considered one of the nation’s leading Native American artists, Benjamin Harjo, Jr. is a Seminole-Shawnee whose formal education includes two years at the Santa Fe Institute of American Indian Art and a BFA from Oklahoma State University in 1974.

Works by Benjamin Harjo, Jr. have been featured in numerous regional and national periodicals including: National Museum of American Indian; Smithsonian, Washington D.C.; 2006 May-June issue Native Peoples Magazine; Art of the West; Oklahoma Today; Nichols Hills News; Southwest Art Magazine; Indian Art Magazine; American Indian Art; and Persimmon Hill 1996.

Harjo has also appeared in a number of books, including: Contemporary Southeastern Indian Artists; Native American Painters of the 21st Century: The Works of 61 Artists; The Biographical Directory of Native American Painters; and Sharing the Heritage ’94: American Indian Art from Oklahoma’s Private Collections

During a career spanning over twenty years, Benjamin Harjo, Jr's work has garnered numerous honors and awards. Career highlights include the 1987 Red Earth Grand Award, Red Earth Festival, Oklahoma City; the 1993 Heard Museum’s 34th Annual Featured Artist, Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market, Phoenix, Arizona; and Featured Artist in 1993 and 1994 for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian’s Annual Aspen Benefit. Harjo was also selected by Absolut Vodka to represent Oklahoma in its USA Today campaign.















Both Mr. And Mrs. Harjo impressed me by their kindness and demeanour. When I made an inquiry about putting together a story about the work that Benjamin has produced I was a bit star struck but both Mr. And Mrs. Harjo were very kind and forth giving in their correspondence. I had just developed this web site and neither had heard of me  before then, so I was greatly humbled.

RV: When and how did you first become       
interested in painting?

Benjamin: Growing up I drew with pencils, crayons, and ballpoint pens and did very little painting.In the fourth grade I'd draw cartoon characters and the teacher would place them on the wall around the room. It wasn't until I went to the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe in 1964 that I really encountered painting.

RV: How  long have you been painting?

Benjamin: Estimate around 49 years, ever since my formal art training at IAIA.

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RV: What are your influences?
Benjamin: Back then it was field trips to Museums to look at exhibitions. Today it is images I see on the road, legends and stories from various tribal groups, parts and particles of elements from nature.

RV: Who has been the most influential person in your life?
Benjamin: My wife Barbara. But there are several who opened creative doors for me, Seymour Tubis at IAIA, Dale McKinney and Dean Bloodgood of Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Ok. I've had many lucky breaks and some wonderful collectors and supporters of my art who still influence my creativity and allow me the freedom to create from my soul with no restrictions.

RV: Does anyone in your family paint?
Benjamin: Distant cousins. Maybe. I don't know of anyone.

RV:What does your painting, “horsing around: mean to you?
Benjamin: “horsing around” has a trickster rabbit shopping for an item trying to decide on which one to buy, meanwhile the salesperson is getting upset because the rabbit is taking up valuable time and in the end may end up not taking anything. Kind of like I’ll be back.

RV: How many hours does it take to finish a project like that?
Benjamin: I get asked that question a lot and all I can say is I really don't know. I start painting with a drawing and add design and color as I paint with no preconceived image colorwise.

RV: Which Artist do you Admire?
Benjamin: Top of my list is Paul Pletka. There's Bahe Whitethorne, James King, Robert Annesley, Ben Shoemaker, Troy Anderson, Merlin Little Thunder, Shan Goshorn, Norma Howard, Joan Hill. All living, all original artist  in creating their own works. There are many more in that circle. Beadworkers, Jewelers, Potters, Sculptors, etc.

RV: Were there ever times in which you became discouraged?
Benjamin: I think every artist becomes discouraged at some point. I remember one time I worked on a drawing for days and when it was finished I used a fixative that when I sprayed it on it turned the image white. An artist will deal with discouragement and move on to another project and be hardheaded enough to continue creating. This Art road is not for everyone.

RV: Are you involved in any current works?
Benjamin: Not only commission works but Art Shows as well. I always have to create for the next exhibition. My show schedule begins in March and doesn't let up until November. Around 7 shows anymore for the year.

RV: Which of your paintings is your personal favorite?
Benjamin: “My Daddy's House”, a circular gouache painting of four cultures and four directions represented by women forms surrounded by a red circle, blue hands, and trees. I always told people that if I sold that painting I could buy my daddy a house.

Thank you Benjamin and Barbara.

Please visit the Artists Gallery to view some of the paintings from artists who have been featured here at Native Digest.