The BLACK Gallery powered by Don’t Shoot Portland presents a new exhibition, Black Snake Killaz: A Retrospective on the Indigenous-Led Movement at Standing Rock featuring works by local photographer Tonita Cervantes.
This exhibit will honor the fight for indigenous sovereignty and uplift the anniversary of those who defended the land as water protectors at the Standing Rock reservation.
Please join us for an opening reception on Thursday, October 2 from 5 to 7pm.
Email info@theblackgallerypdx.com to schedule your visit Thursdays through Sundays until December 4 from 12 to 5pm.
Last March Out Of Standing Rock, 2017
About the Artist:
Tonita’s work highlights the common threads that connect people from all walks of life. Their sorrows, joys, and dreams for a better future reflect the essence of humanity.
As a social documentary photojournalist, she takes an aggressive boots-on-the-ground approach. In her childhood, she was always drawn to the underdog and the invisible—perhaps because of her strong feeling of not belonging.
After spending years in Hollywood as a casting director and feeling spiritually unfulfilled, she left the studio and picked up a camera. It was time to tell the stories of those who don’t have a voice, illustrating their viewpoint rather than casting for commercials that promote consumer products that nobody needs. Her artistic goal is to capture the unguarded moment by focusing on the window to the soul - their eyes.
She is intrigued by the resilience that emerges in the face of limited resources. Witnessing the human spirit and the indomitable will of communities striving to survive against all odds is both humbling and inspiring.
Today, the country is rapidly barreling at an accelerated pace toward a dangerous and uncertain future filled with unimaginable challenges. However, prophecies from ancient ancestors urge us not to give up, to have faith in the Creator, and to continue the fight for a sustainable future.
In 1877, Chief Crazy Horse of the Lakota people, a mystic and fierce warrior, had a vision: "I see a time of seven generations, when all the colors of mankind will gather under the sacred tree of life and the whole earth will become one circle again.” Website: https://www.cervantesnomad.photography
Lost Child Camp Stand Off, 2017
Support Those Who Support You, 2017
Angry Bird Reconnaissance, 2016