USC Lancaster artist in residency tells the story of the Catawbas in his own way
Catawba artist Alex Obsorn has creativity in his veins.
The Catawba Indian Nation, the only federally-recognized Native American tribe in South Carolina, is renowned for its pottery. Osborn has lived on the reservation in Rock Hill, SC, all his life, descended from a tribe where art is a way of life -- where drumming and dancing are tradition. His grandmother was a potter by trade.
Osborn wants to use his art to showcase the story of the Catawba Nation — in ways that wouldn’t have been possible in the years of his ancestors.
Through the end of August, Osborn, 29, is the contemporary artist-in-residence at the University of South Carolina Native American Studies Center. Through livestreams and Zoom, he will give talks and interviews, as well as allow viewers to watch him while he works. At the conclusion of his residency, the work he creates will be displayed in an exhibit at the Native American Studies Center.
Osborn’s presentations will cover traditional Catawba art forms, artistic mediums he works with, identity through art, cultural documentation and contemporary art in Catawba and Native American culture.
A photographer and digital artist, Osborn uses elements of Catawba language, designs and traditional artwork to showcase his heritage in a modern light.
His ancestors once created pots to carry water or store grain. Catawba pottery now has evolved into a renowned art form.
By continuing to create pottery, the Catawbas are preserving their culture, Osborn says. But he is finding his own way to tell the Catawba story.
“I’m not a potter. I’m using the skills that I have to create art that makes me happy,” he said. “I feel and hope that the contemporary nature of my art respects the nature of my ancestors, and the heart of my ancestors. I hope that I’m adding to that story — the same story of people making pottery for thousands of years. It’s a different twist on making art that would not be able to be made in any other time period.”
While Osborn hopes his talks will educate viewers, he believes his art will be the best teacher.
“I want people to understand that we’re here, we’re also making art now, that’s relevant to our experiences today. It doesn’t just have to be a pot that’s 700 years old,” he said. “I want to help preserve my culture in a way that younger people might be interested in seeing too, which can then lead into the stories of my people that have survived for so long.”
And through his art, he can talk about elements of the Catawba’s history that are often hard to discuss.
“We have experienced so many traumas, we’re still working through things to recover from all kinds of stuff,” he said.
The Catawbas are estimated to have 3,370 members today. An estimated half of the original Catawba population was killed in a smallpox epidemic. Warfare and cultural disruption shrunk the tribe even more.
“We can’t necessarily always put that into words. I think that art opens the doors for expressing some of those things,” he said.
Osborn’s presentations are open to the public. To sign up, links can be found on the USC Native American Studies Center website. Presentations on June 3, 4 and 5 are currently listed, but there are more dates planned for July 8-10, July 17-19, July 29-31 and August 12.
The final exhibit of his work will be displayed August 27 and 28, where the public can attend in-person at the Native American Studies Center.
This story was originally published June 1, 2021 at 12:00 AM.
