Ahchipaptunhe, an enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians and Cherokee Nation. His work aims to preserve native history, culture, and language. Having served in the US Navy he now seeks to serve the community through his use of narrative art and storytelling. Ahchipaptunhe seeks to honor his nations while providing historical, cultural understanding in hopes of inspiring future indigenous peoples to carry on their own stories.
Graduating in 2019 from Pratt Institute Ahchipaptunhe began working in the arts while continuing his passion for painting and sculpting. His education was heavily influenced by the teachings of Rowena Reed Kostelow, a leading designer of the 20th century. Utilizing concepts of form, space, and movement Ahchipaptunhe has applied these elements with that of oral tradition in doing so creating what he calls “Native Suprematism.”
Ahchipaptunhe’s works have been exhibited in museums, community centers and through the public arts. His visual language of color and form are all deeply rooted in storytelling. The use of abstraction is key to his journey as he seeks to break perspectives of what Native art is and can be.
EDUCATION
Pratt Institute, BID 2019 | Minor History of Art and Design | Summa cum laude
Johnson College, AAS 2012 | Summa cum laude
Military Aircraft Paint and Marking, 2009
DINFOS Navy Photojournalism, 2001
Solo Exhibitions
2025 Icons | Aurelia Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2024 No Feathers No Promises | ASU ArtSpace West, Phoenix, AZ
2021 Ahchipaptunhe | Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ
2019 Franklin Residence Gallery: Solo Show | Franklin Residence Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Selected Group Exhibitions
2026 Under All is the Land | Garden State Art Weekend, Bloomfield, NJ
2026 Modern Messages | Scottsdale Library, Scottsdale, AZ
2026 Where Have All the Flowers Gone | New School, NYC, NY
2025 Abstract Exhibit | Herberger Art Galleries, Phoenix, AZ
2025 Cherokee Homecoming | Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, OK
2025 Chill Pill | Five15 Arts, Phoenix, AZ
2025 Lenapehoking | Gracie Mansion, New York, NY
2024 Landback | Tiny Gallery, Montclair, NJ
2024 Skateboard Deck Show | Trans AM cafe, Phoenix, AZ
2024 Stick Together| Scottsdale Community Center, Scottsdale, AZ
2024 Summer Stock | Five15 Arts, Phoenix, AZ
2023 Native Veterans Art Exhibition | ASU ArtSpace West, Phoenix, AZ
2023 Never Broken | Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA
2023 TOTAS: Trail of Tears Art Show | Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, OK
2023 Color Love | Scottsdale Community Center, Scottsdale, AZ
2022 TOTAS: Trail of Tears Art Show | Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, OK
2022 FOUND:RE 22nd Annual Juried Exhibition | FOUND:RE, Phoenix, AZ
2022 ASU Community Art Show | ASU Downtown Campus, Phoenix, AZ
2022 First: Native American Artist of Arizona | Scottsdale Community Center, Scottsdale, AZ
2022 Portland on the Park Cycle 10 | Portland on the Park, Phoenix, AZ
2022 INFLUX | City of Tempe, Tempe, AZ
2022 Homecoming | Brooklyn Public Library Gravesend Branch, Brooklyn, NY
2021 Portland on the Park Cycle 8 | Portland on the Park, Phoenix, AZ
2021 City Island NYC: Storytelling Festival | City Island, NY
2020 Mayo Clinic Group Show | Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ
2020 Archipelagos of the Creative Mine | Pratt Library, Brooklyn, NY
2019 Franklin Residence Gallery Group Show| Franklin Residence Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Artist Talks and Lectures
2024 Visiting Artist Lecture, Columbia Teachers College, New York, NY
2023 Artist Talk, Never Broken Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA
2022 Artist Virtual: Lenapehoking: In Conversation with Painter Ahchipaptunhe, Brooklyn Library, Brooklyn, NY
2021 Artist Virtual: Native Artists, Northeast Futures, Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ
Community Engagements
2025 Heard Artist Demonstration
2024 Heard Artist Demonstration
2023 Art Uncorked | Montclair Art Museum Gala and Silent Auction
2023 Art advisor for the City of Tempe’s Firehouse Art Project| Tempe, AZ
2022 Art Uncorked | Montclair Art Museum Gala and Silent Auction
Additional Professional Experiences
2022 – 2023 Exhibit Designer | Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, AZ
2020 – 2022 Arts Program Specialist | Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ
2012 – 2015 Commercial Construction | VA Hospital Bronx, NY
2000 – 2010 United States Navy
Publications
Never Broken: Visualizing Lenape Histories – January 23, 2024
by Joe Baker (Editor), Laura Igoe (Editor)
ISBN 978-1-879636-16-3
Lenapehoking: An Anthology – 2022
by Joe Baker (Editor), Hadrien Coumans (Editor) & Joel Whitney (Editor)
ISBN 978-1-946604-21-7
Bibliography
Montclair Local. Announcement. (2024, October 31). Tiny Gallery Presents “Land Back: A Tiny Gallery Takeover in Lenapehoking.” Montclair Local. (Image) (https://montclairlocal.news/2024/10/tiny-gallery-presents-land-back-a-tiny-gallery-takeover-in- lenapehoking/)
The State Press. James, Senna. Native American Veterans Practice Indigenous Art, Connect through Shared Experiences. 29 Nov. 2023, www.statepress.com/article/2023/11/community-native-veteran-prints-heard-museum. Accessed 20 May 2025.
The Philadelphia Inquirer. Mikati, M. (2023, September 11). “We are here and present” says co-curator of Lenape exhibit at the Michener Art Museum. www.inquirer.com; The Philadelphia Inquirer. ( https://www.inquirer.com/news/michener-art-museum-lenape-history-culture-exhibit-20230911.html)
Hyperallergic. Michener Art Museum. (2023, September 15). Visualizing Lenape Histories at the Michener Art Museum. Hyperallergic. (https://hyperallergic.com/844296/visualizing-lenape-histories-michener-art-museum/)
James A. Michener Art Museum. (2023, September 13). “Never Broken: Visualizing Lenape Histories” – Ahchipaptunhe – Response to the pottery artifacts. YouTube.
Medium: Painting, Sculpture
My art and design works are influenced by my indigenous heritage and culture. Captivated by the art of storytelling I seek methods of blending historical knowledge, lived experiences, and abstraction to recreate stories through paintings and sculptures.
Oral tradition provides connections to our past while empowering an active voice. I believe that form, interaction, and color are essential conversations in art, but without context the work loses its holding power. Blending oral traditions with abstraction provides a space to speak without limitations.
