NANI

Hello there! My name is Aiyana Beauieu but I also go by Nani! Welcome to my humble art page. I am an Anishinaabe/mixed comic artist and painter who seeks to authentically represent Native people through my stories. Enjoy the beauty and obscurity of this world through my art work.

Recent Works:

Debwe - She Speaks the Truth

32"x59"
Non-stretched canvas, acrylic paint, paint marker, ribbon, and mirrors

Artist Statment

She walks on uneven ground as it breaks apart, cracking from tree roots and long held truths. What lies far beneath, the land carries to the surface for all to witness.
She is the messenger. A guiding force that beckons us to follow her as she informs us by showing the painful past. Debwe. She speaks the truth.
At her feet orange moccasins emerge from the ground, orange; the color of the Every Child Matters cause and Truth and Reconciliation or Orange shirt day. What those with power tried to hide, the land knows, the land will always know. Every drop of oil, every life that is taken, every forest that is forsaken.
She is adorned in shades of red, the color associated with the Missing Murdered Indigenous Women/Relatives cause (MMIR). Her skirt has four panels which feature a specific art form from a particular tribe. From right to left are: Diné rug weaving, Lingít Formline art of Salmon, then on the same panel are Dakota Florals (Yuhaha) and Ojibwe Florals (I referenced both Quillwork and Beadwork), and then Seminole Patchwork (Taweekaache) on skirts. A display of four ribbons is seen towards the edges of the skirt, a tribute to the Ribbon skirt worn intertribally. The reason I chose to depict more than just my own tribe (Anishinaabe/Ojibwe) is to reflect on how these events and traumas affected and still affect Indigenous groups from Turtle Island (North America) to Abya Yala (South America) as well as other parts of the world (Free Palestine). I want this piece to honor all those affected by colonial based violence, even now still in the modern age (Free Congo). I also wanted to challenge the stereotypes that homogenize Indigenous peoples of the Americas. I intentionally chose specific art forms, patterns, and motifs. There is a strong theme of storytelling among many Indigenous art forms. Often the patterns resemble the environment, they mean something, they tell stories, they record the past. They are extremely important to identity. For many tribes, the arts symbolize a way of life, a way of being. In terms of how materials are ethically sourced and the model art gives us; existing in harmony, beauty, respect for the world around us and understanding our place in it all. To be good stewards, to make a positive impact, to live in a good way.
The mirrors on her belt reflect back the viewer's gaze, her way of prompting us to face this truth and to face an even more intimidating figure: oneself. She Invites us to reflect on our own experiences.This piece was created as part of the Teen Perspective Program - analyzing Minneapolis as a Monument also in response to the traveling GIANTS exhibition - at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The artists featured in GIANTS (Art from the Dean Collection of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz) honor the past but also find ways to transform the painful into something that empowers others. They do this while also embracing the beauty of the everyday with sincerity. I want my piece to do the same, portraying the diversity among tribal nations and honoring victims of boarding schools and MMIR. I want this piece to uplift and make the statement that we are all Giants in our communities and those whose lives were taken, are never forgotten. We are all connected to the land and we all go back to the land. This piece is a reminder that the land remembers our stories. As incredible Diné artist Dakota Mace puts it, “For many Native Americans, our landscape is our story, our connection to our ancestors.”(Mace, 2019). May this figure I’ve painted be a guardian to our sisters, brothers, siblings and all of our relatives. Guided by our ancestors, protecting the youth and bringing forth the long held truth. Every Child Matters. No More Stolen Sisters.
Referencing work by renowned Native artists; Dakota Mace (Diné), Di’Orr Greenwood (Diné), Darby Raymond-Overstreet (Diné), Katherine Marianito (Yiintbaah – Lady with Courage. Diné) , Crystal Worl (Tlingit), Rico Lanáat’ Worl (Tlingit), Lily Hope (Tlingit), David R. Boxley (Tsimshian), Marlena Myles (Dakota), Holly Young (Dakota), Bill Brien (Lakota, Dakota, Chippewa, Metís), Jessica Osceola (Seminole), Lenora Roberts (Seminole), Melissa Osceola Demayo (Seminole), and Jaylee Lowe (Seminole). These artists are all Giants in their communities. Carrying on sacred and traditional art forms and teaching others. These art forms are reminders of their resilience as a people, by transforming the traumatic into a powerful healing message.Disclaimer: I do not speak for all Tribes and what you see here is purely my depictions of these art forms to the best of my ability after referencing multiple artists from the respective tribes and doing research on the rules and meanings of each art form. Do not, by any means, think this represents these sacred art forms in full.

Hands Hold Power

I created this piece in response to Christi Belcourt’s piece "It’s a Delicate Balance." In that, Belcourt creates with the indigenous held belief that all life, plants, animals, insects, microbes–are kin. And that all living beings deserve our respect and honor. I wanted to add to that concept that we are all relatives as well as portray indigenous solidarity with Palestinians. I titled this piece Hands Hold Power to represent resilience and the power in healing. Especially in the act of resisting the infiltration of greed and colonialism. Our world is so very interconnected. The struggles, the conflict, the wonder, the arts. When we hurt, others feel it too. This is why Indigenous people stand in solidarity with Palestinians. When creating this and doing research, I noticed many parallels culturally between my people, the Anishinaabe, and Palestinians. Especially in the craft of storytelling through art. Their intricate embroidered clothing, called tatreez, reminded me of the significance of beadwork in my own culture. Another parallel is the connection to the land. Nurturing the plants and honoring each season. I also want to mention that Palestinians stand with Native people and did so in protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock in 2016. There’s this very beautiful unity and mutual understanding that is shared between us, and I feel that is the way of the future. And the same is said for all groups experiencing genocide and displacement. We stand together. I recognize that the same tactics are used against so many people. People of Congo, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Iran, Ukraine, Uyghur Turks, Rohingya people, people of Haiti, and those who we might not even be aware of yet who are also facing this kind of discrimination. Our oppressions, and oppressors, are connected. In times like these, it is all the more important to listen, use our voices, and take action to support each other.On the left side of the piece, you’ll see a hand of a person who is Anishinaabe, reflecting my own culture and identity. Behind the hand is braided sweetgrass which is one of the Sacred Sisters. It is strong and when burned it works to cleanse and connect. The person is wearing a beaded cuff that features the medicine wheel on it, a sacred symbol that represents the circle of life and interconnectedness. I chose these elements because they coincide with healing. Sprouting from and surrounding their outstretched hand, Ojibwe florals in a beadwork pattern signify the power and love that the figure wields in a good way. On the right side, I depicted a hand of a person who is Palestinian. In the background is a Keffiyeh scarf representing Palestinian identity and resistance. Featured on their sleeve is the Palestinian flag, embroidered, making note of traditional Palestinian Tatreez. These elements represent identity, connection, and reflect historical roots. I primarily used the Palm Tree motif (featured further up the sleeve from the Palestinian flag) which can often represent resilience. Growing around their hand is an olive tree branch signifying their deep connection to their land and beauty of cultural customs such as the harvesting of olives. I was very lucky to have guidance from a newly acquainted friend who shared many resources with me to learn about traditional Palestinian tatreez and pottery. And to that, I am so grateful! I realized further that we do so much with our hands, and it is a choice whether we use them to uplift and create or to destroy. The title Hands Hold Power acknowledges the systems of oppression, military forces and individuals who hold power over others. In the concept that our hands hold power, it represents duality and contrasts those who use their hands to commit atrocities and brutalize others and those who use their hands to heal, craft, embrace and work with the Earth. In considering seven generations, we are then aware of how our actions impact the future. We hold power in our hands by understanding our effect in how we move about in the world, our decisions, our interactions, our relationships with each other and the Earth. As the young people in this world, it is up to us to break these cycles of trauma in order to truly heal. Please take this piece as a reminder to never stop talking about injustice in the world. Together, we can make a difference and show that we won’t give up on ourselves or each other. Children are sacred.
Free Palestine.

"Nobody's free until everybody's free." - Fannie Lou Hamer

Questions? Contact me!
Email: [email protected]Social Medias:

Aiyana Beaulieu is a painter, comic artist/storyteller, and illustrator most often working in mediums of watercolor, acrylic paints and pen. She loves to explore all art forms including those beyond visual arts such as film, music and poetry. In her work she strives to create thought provoking pieces, making bold statements and encouraging the viewer to do what most are scared to do: feel. Aiyana creates works highlighting Indigenous identities and experiences in imaginative ways through the use of wild colors and characters. Aiyana hopes to make sense of seeming chaos, by creating peace where she can while also causing just enough disturbance where it's needed.

Exhibitions

Teen Perspective: Minneapolis as a Monument
(Art in response to the GIANTS exhibition
of the Dean Collection of Alicia Keys and Kasseem Dean)
Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) Museum
May 10th - July 20th 2025
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Identity: An Indigenous Perspective
3rd Place Winner
Sault Area Art Center
217 Ferris St. Sault Ste. Marie, MI
July 2-July 27th 2024
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Scholastics Exhibition (silver and gold key winners 2023-24)
Regis West Gallery
418 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN
June 3rd - June 28th 2024
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Racism as a Public Health Crisis: Youth and Professionals Respond
Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) Museum
May 11th - August 2024
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Senior Capstone Studio Arts Exhibition
Perpich Center for the Arts Education, Golden Valley, MN
March 7th - April 26th 2024
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Beauty in Variety Curricular Show and Beyond the Classroom,
Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley, MN,
February 1st - March 1st 2024
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Falling into Rhythm Curriculum Exhibition,
Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley, MN,
Nov 9th-January 25th 2024,
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We are still here: Indigenous Arts Showcase
3rd Place Winner
Friedli Gallery. 943 7th St. W, St. Paul, Mn 55102
Nov 3rd 2023
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Variations of Self: Exhibition of Studio Arts Summer projects,
Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley, MN,
Sept 7th-Oct 18th 2023,
Opening Sept 7th, 5-7pm, Dance performances 5:30pm, 6:15pm
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8x8 Canvas Auction Fundraiser 2023
Crossing Arts Alliance, 711 Laurel St, Brainerd, MN
Reception Oct. 6 2023
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Skate Deck Auction Exhibition 2023
Crossing Arts Alliance, 711 Laurel St, Brainerd, MN
Reception July 27, 2023
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ACCESS/PRINT Teen Mentorship Program
Highpoint Center for Printmaking, Uptown Minneapolis, MN
May 19th - July 2024
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2-For-1 Combo Junior Curriculum Exhibition
Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley, MN, May 11th- May 30th 2023
Opening reception: Thursday, May 11 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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Congressional Art Competition Winners, Nina Holding Eagle-Bushaw (Visual Arts 2023)
and to Lee Greve (Visual Arts 2023)!
May 4th & 5th Congressional Art
Competition
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Scholastics Exhibition (gold winners 2022-23)
Regis West Gallery
418 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Exhibition dates: February 1st - February 25th
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DVD Curriculum Exhibition and Beyond The Classroom Exhibition,
Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley, MN,
Exhibition dates January 26th-February 24, 2023.
Opening Reception: January 26, 2023, 5-7pm
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“Cooking up in the Stew” Curriculum Exhibition,
Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley, MN,
November 10th- January 20th 2023
Opening Reception: November 10th 5-7pm
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Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley, MN,
September 8th- October 28th, 2022
Opening Reception September 8th, 5-7pm
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Salute to the Arts Member Exhibition 2022
Crossing Arts Alliance, 711 Laurel St, Brainerd, MN
May 2022
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8x8 Canvas Auction Fundraiser
Crossing Arts Alliance, 711 Laurel St, Brainerd, MN
Oct 2021
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Salute to the Arts Member Exhibition
Crossing Arts Alliance, 711 Laurel St, Brainerd, MN
May 2021

Comics!

This Section is Under Construction! Stay Tuned for more!

In the meantime enjoy misc. pieces and short comics

Digital Illustration

POSTERS!!!!

These are some posters I've made in the past for school, promoting the themed library book displays. I really enjoy poster making and plan to collaborate with artists and musicians in the future to continue this type of work.

Public Art