Racquel Banaszak

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 Artist Statement:

Racquel Banaszak is a visual artist whose works include beadwork, collage, embroidery, and drawing. She is an enrolled citizen of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and a descendant of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe. Her work often focuses on Indigenous histories, representation, and kinship. She is particularly interested in how federal Indian policies and laws have shaped Indigenous communities, especially women, and the ways they hold on to who they are. Her visual imagery is an ode to her ancestors whose strength and perseverance has paved the way for her today.    

Bio: 

Racquel Banaszak (she/hers/ikwe) is a visual artist based in Minneapolis, MN. Her work is influenced by her Ojibwe identity and often incorporates beadwork, collage, embroidery, and illustration. With a background in community arts, she strives to bring healing and joy through Native visual representation. She is currently a selected artist for the "We Are Still Here" mural cohort which seeks to engage Native truth-telling through public art. Her work has been exhibited locally and regionally at All My Relations Gallery, Minneapolis, MN; Friedli Arts Gallery, St. Paul, MN; and No. 7 Center Gallery, Vermillion, SD. She is currently pursuing her Master of Heritage Studies and Public History with a focus on Indigenous representation at the University of Minnesota. She earned her graduate certificate in Native American Studies from Montana State University (2018) and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (2012). She studied Aboriginal Visual Culture at the Ontario College of Art & Design University in Toronto, Canada. 

 Social Media: IG @Racquel_Kwe  

Website: RacquelBanaszak.com