Keri Ataumbi

Keri Ataumbi is a contemporary Kiowa artist whose work bridges cultural value systems, explores the meaning of preciousness, and reframes Indigenous aesthetics within the language of fine art and jewelry. Born and raised on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, she grew up surrounded by the visual traditions of the Shoshone, Arapaho, and Kiowa peoples. These early influences continue to ground her practice, guiding a body of work that merges traditional Native philosophies with modern materials and techniques.

Ataumbi’s art centers on questions of value, both cultural and environmental. By pairing materials revered in Indigenous communities with those prized in mainstream fine jewelry, she examines how societies assign worth and how adornment communicates identity. Her pieces reflect the philosophical and ceremonial knowledge that sustain Native nations, while presenting these ideas through a contemporary, elegant aesthetic.

Her education spans several respected institutions. After attending boarding school in Massachusetts, she studied at the Rhode Island School of Design before moving to Santa Fe in 1990. She later enrolled at the Institute of American Indian Arts and ultimately earned her BFA in painting, magna cum laude, with a minor in art history from the College of Santa Fe. This combination of academic training and deep cultural grounding informs her distinctive approach to form, narrative, and material.

Ataumbi maintains her studio, Ataumbi Metals, in the Cerrillos Hills outside Santa Fe. The space blends traditional metalsmithing tools with advanced technology, reflecting her commitment to both heritage and innovation. Surrounded by gardens, expansive views, and the landscape that shapes much of her work, the studio is where each piece is designed and crafted by hand. She opens the studio to the public through select tours arranged with museums, collectors, and visiting groups.

While New Mexico is her home base, Ataumbi regularly returns to Oklahoma and Wyoming to participate in the communities and ceremonies that have shaped her identity. In recent years, she has also spent significant time at sea, helping sail a 62-foot cutter from the Atlantic to the Sea of Cortez, an experience that continues to broaden the perspectives that inform her art.

Ataumbi releases only a few collections a year, often composed of one-of-a-kind works. Her jewelry has been featured in major museum collections and worn on red carpets at the Emmys, Grammys, and Oscars. In 2024, she collaborated with an American designer to create actor Lily Gladstone’s look for the Met Gala, further cementing her place at the intersection of Indigenous artistry and contemporary fashion.

Through each piece she creates, Keri Ataumbi offers a compelling exploration of identity, environment, and cultural continuity, honoring the past while shaping the future of Native American contemporary art.

Photo credit: Ataumbi Metals - ataumbi.com