"Chahta Anumpa In My Accent"

Type of art: Beadwork / Quillwork

Bandolier bag English is my first language but Chata Anumpa is my father's. As I begin to learn Choctaw at this point in my life I realize that as much as I can practice I will always have my own accent. I started to think about this distinction in my beadwork. Learning beadwork at the time that I did influenced the style in which I work. While I can attempt to recreate historic Choctaw beadwork I will always inject my own aesthetic into a piece. This bag is an embrace of this concept. The different stitches and overall appearance are Choctaw and southeastern tribes while the designs encapsulated within the piece are distinctly my own.

Materials: Wool fabric, antique and contemporary size 15-8 seed beads (mostly size 13) silk dupioni, brain tanned buckskin, Swarovski crystal, silk tassels, brass bells, brass sequins

Technique: Two needle appliqué, flat zig zag, rolled stitch, single bead edging, completely hand sewn

Size: 39x13x3

Price: $5,800

Purchase Art

Hollis Chitto

Mississippi Choctaw

(505) 603-9190

hollischitto@gmail.com

Hollis Chitto was born in an art town to artist parents. He grew up surrounded by art, artistic discussion and talented people. Hollis started making clay masks and shields when he was five years old. He learned to roll out the clay, sand them, and decorate and paint the pieces himself. When he was ten years old, he started working with glass seed beads and porcupine quills and since then, these have been his principle medium. Hollis was featured recently in Native American Art magazine, New Mexico Magazine and on Vogue.com as an "Indigenous Beader Modernizing Their Craft."