Henry Payer: Appliqué sur le terrain | The Joslyn

Sep 10, 2024–Mar 22, 2026
Joslyn Building
Merriam Gallery J8

Henry Payer views the cultural landscape of present-day Nebraska through the vibrant lens of Indigenous ribbonwork appliqué in a special installation featured in the American galleries. Henry Payer views the cultural landscape of present-day Nebraska through the vibrant lens of Indigenous ribbonwork appliqué in a special installation featured in the American galleries. The artform involves sewing layers of silk ribbons, cotton, wool, and glass beads into distinctive floral and geometric designs that reflect kinship, ecological knowledge, and oral histories. Inspired by The Joslyn’s collection of Karl Bodmer watercolors, Payer created eight appliqué collages that layer Missouri River landscapes, calico fabric, and texts about the colonization of the region. As part of this collaborative project, artists from the community contributed their own stitches and generously shared their appliqué stories and regalia, a testament to the continuity and revitalization of this tradition.

Pictured: Henry Payer (Ho-Chunk, b. 1986), Omaha, Bellevue Agency, Post of Major Dougherty (After Ancestor Artist), from the series Appliqué sur le terrain, 2024, calico, digital print on polyester fabric, and thread, 36 × 48 in. (91.4 × 121.9 cm), © Henry Payer, Courtesy the artist