From the Artist - Kandis Quam:
The inspiration for this room was literal and symbolic meaning of some Pueblo traditional garment designs. The big blue symbols can represent the billowing cloud formations found over the ocean called Kelvin- Helmholtz clouds. The dark blue at the bottom represents the deep waters of the oceans, and there are literal clouds within the geometric, symbolic cloud formations. Also, our Sun Father can be seen peaking over the horizon with messengers (the Dragonfly and Butterfly) carrying messages from our ancestors to us.
About Kandis Quam:
Art has always been in my life; from the moment I was born. I come from a family of well-known Native Artists. As a result of growing in an artistic family, I got to watch and learn from my parents, Jayne and Lynn Quam, as they navigated the art show world. Even at a young age I knew my destiny was/is to continue the Quam family legacy of art. However, I also wanted to be the first in my family to graduate college. Once I graduated from Zuni High School, I went to New Mexico State University Main Campus. Five years later, I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Cultural Anthropology and a minor in American Indian Studies. From then on, I went back home to the Pueblo of Zuni, and began building up Natachu INK full time with my cousin Elroy Natachu Jr. In the early summer of 2014, Elroy began to teach me how to paint and do other areas of the arts, such as: making traditional clothes, making jewelry, and embroidery. Through every piece of art I do, I aim to push my art to the next caliber: infusing the traditional with a modern twist. My main subject matter of choice is imagery with a heavy Zuni influence. I want to instill a sense of cultural preservation in this modern age to the younger generation. I hope to help further enforce the importance of oral tradition and the passing on of knowledge with the stories and teaching of how these sacred beings and entities were held in high regard by our ancestors. Through my use of visual media, I seek to bridge the past with the present and create change through beauty.