Tasha Abourezk

Tasha Abourezk is an artist that utilizes textiles as a means to explore her Mandan/Hidatsa heritage and contemporary politics. Beginning with an initial idea, she expands upon it as her concepts evolve. Her quilting and fabric work is typically composed in a way that is sparse yet detailed. The often colorful fabric is specifically chosen so that the piece ties together to create unity within a visceral experience. Likewise, Tasha enjoys stitching culture and textiles together, while allowing the viewer to question the deeper realities behind the work.

Tasha grew up in numerous National Parks across the country. Although her house was ever changing, she considered her Grandmother's ranch on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota to be home. Not only was culture a very important part of Tasha’s childhood, so too was quilting. Both of her Grandmothers were excellent quilters. Even though their work differs from hers, Tasha credits her grandmothers to be among her greatest sources of inspiration.

Since moving to Omaha in 2000, Tasha now considers it home. Together with her husband Rich they have three children. Tasha currently works as a stay at home mom. However, throughout the years, she has continually kept her creative mind engaged by taking college courses, art classes and sewing workshops as much as possible. Just recently, Tasha opened a studio space at Hot Shops Art Center and can be found working there while basking in her alone time behind a sewing machine.

Tasha's Cultural Capital project will involve working with high school students from the Omaha Indian Reservation in Macy, Nebraska. This will be a two part process where the students will create a quilted art piece that evolves from spoken word. She is partnering with the Nebraska Writers Collective, an Omaha-based arts nonprofit, on this part of the project. Their Louder Than a Bomb: Great Plains program puts local poets in schools throughout Nebraska to provide 50-100+ hours of free performance poetry mentoring in preparation for a month-long tournament each April.