Brenda Mallory

A citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Brenda Mallory grew up in Oklahoma where she developed an awareness of the land through her father who was a farmer, hunter, and gardener; and her grandfather who was a beekeeper and fisher. Being closely connected to the resources of the land and the family’s resourcefulness deeply informed Mallory’s own sensibilities, particularly in her visual language. Mallory often repurposes common materials to create entirely transformative objects. In describing her work and presence as an artist, Kathleen Ash-Milby, Curator of Native American Art at the Portland Art Museum shared, “Brenda Mallory creates bold work with a sensitive and adventurous approach to her materials. I am especially intrigued by her use of texture in her sculpture and thrilled to have her work in our collection at the Portland Art Museum. Brenda is also a valuable and active member of our diverse Indigenous community in Portland. We are so grateful that she is a part of our Native Advisory Group at the Portland Art Museum where she supports the work of the Native American art department. She is so deserving of this award.”

Mallory’s recent exhibition at the Heard Museum is now on view at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art and contains work that addresses her Cherokee heritage. Olivia Barney, the Heard Curator for The North Star Changes, and Diana Pardue, Chief Curator at the Heard Museum have noted, “The Heard Museum had the great pleasure of working with Brenda for her exhibition The North Star Changes. Brenda brought a wonderful collaborative approach to the presentation of her sculptural works. She included fellow members from her Cherokee Nation community who added Cherokee syllabary translations to the exhibition didactics and wrote a scholarly essay for a brochure provided to museum visitors. The myriad materials and complex forms of Brenda’s sculptures fascinate all who see them. Brenda is an amazing artist whose creative practice enriches the art world.”

Mallory has been recognized with numerous awards and fellowships throughout her career, including the Oregon Arts Commission, Ford Family Foundation, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council. She is a recipient of the Eiteljorg Contemporary Native Art Fellowship and has been recognized as a Mentor Artist with the Native Arts and Culture Foundation. She holds a BA in Linguistics and English from UCLA and a BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art. Recognized through solo and group exhibitions, Mallory has been exhibiting throughout the U.S. In addition to her current exhibition at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University, Salem, OR, currently on view is Women of the Pacific Northwest, Bo Bartlett Center, Columbus State University, Columbus GA. Mallory’s upcoming exhibit this year also includes a solo exhibition, To Walk in an Intertwined World, at daphne arts, an Indigenous run art space in Montreal, Quebec. Mallory is represented by Russo Lee Gallery, Portland, OR and Marinaro Gallery in New York, NY.