Jennifer Thiessen is an award-winning Cherokee artist who specializes in mixed media. Her body of work includes textiles, paint, ink, print, and pottery and has personal and cultural meaning as a result of her passion for political science, history and art. She describes this saying, “I look to the past for inspiration from our ancestors as well as to the present for the current struggles facing indigenous communities in North America.  I want my art to provoke feeling and spark discussion about the piece or the political statement I’m making.”

Balance and symbolism are at the heart of many of her pieces.  Two of her paintings, “Going Home” and “The Hunt” are currently on display.  Her works “A Living Language, Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art” are at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Cherokee, NC.  Each painting incorporates traditional elements and symbolism with syllabary to tell a story and honor her Cherokee ancestry.

The mother to two teenage daughters, Thiessen also holds a recently earned bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Central Oklahoma. A proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Thiessen belongs to the OKC Chapter of the intertribal group, Matriarch and serves in the Cherokee Nation Color Guard as a Marine veteran.

With school behind her and her daughters growing up, Thiessen is currently enjoying devoting more time to creating her art.