Art, Culture & Community: The Creative World of Alexander SixKiller
Alexander (Spirit of Cukṣoñ) is a Tohono O’odham and Yoeme artist, based in Tucson, Arizona. He shares about his artistic journey, how his culture and his interests meet in his art, and how art helps him create community.
Hello! Could you please state your name, your tribal affiliation,and what you do?
Hello, my name is Alexander SixKiller – I am a Tohono O’odham and Yoeme artist from Tucson, Arizona. I am currently a Fine Arts major at TOCC (Tohono O’odham Community College). I also love to vend around Tucson and sell my art.
Your work ranges through a vast expanse of different mediums and canvases (ex: illustrations, beadwork, graphite and ink work, etc)- could you walk us through how your artistic thought process varies from project to project?
My artistic thought process varies depending on what I’m trying to portray through my art. However I interpret the oral stories or traditional word I’m trying to get out- it depends on how I feel the energy is around the story or the word. That energy determines the medium that I use, so if I feel like it’s a little bit more raw, more artistic, or rough, then I’ll typically use graphite to really get that gritty feel. If I feel like the piece of art is more feminine or glamorous (or needs more beauty) I’ll do something like beading.
When did you start selling your artwork and showcasing it in galleries, and what got you started?
I first started showing my artwork in high school, as a part of school requirements. [As to actually selling it and putting it in stores and galleries] I started around 2021, when I first started my business. What got me started doing the actual business was seeing my grandmother sell and dance at pow-wows. In 2020, in the pandemic, I helped my auntie sell her soaps. So I think creating my own business and selling my stuff came naturally.
Your artist statement mentions that the purpose of your art business is to educate people on traditional knowledge with contemporary touches- what influences from both contemporary sources/media and your own culture make it into your art? How do you combine the two?
For my traditional art, a majority of the influences are from my Tohono O’odham and Yoeme cultures, and I love to combine the two to really represent both sides equally. For the contemporary, I feel like it’s just my own personality – whatever I’m feeling at the time, like if I want to do something special like what I do during the holidays ( with Halloween). I love to combine what I know about my O’odham and Yoeme sides with the things that I love, like Michael Myers. That’s where I got my ‘Indian Slasher’ image from, and that’s how it was made.
As an artist, how do you use art as a tool for community building and/or connection?
When I want to reach a non-Indigenous audience here in Tucson, I build community by increasing our presence, increasing respect and understanding of Indigenous people. When people understand us, respect us, and are able to acknowledge our presence, it really puts us [Indigenous people] on an equal platform and gives us more opportunities in more fields than just art.
We acknowledge and stress the importance that Native voices deserve and need to be heard year-round, and not just the month of November- however, what is the meaning of Native American Heritage Month to you specifically (if any)?
Native American Heritage Month is a great opportunity for non-Indigenous people to appreciate our histories and cultures, but also understand us as who we are today.
