Cover Art

Cover artist

The evolution of Diana Folsom's artistic practice has been shaped around the connections between earth and sky considered through the fluid handling of paint in abstracted landscapes. She earned a BA in Art from San Diego State University and an MA in Creative Art—Painting, from Hunter College, City University of New York. In addition to Ms. Folsom's artistic endeavors, she worked at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and since 2013 has worked at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the Peter Pitchlynn Papers collection includes letters written by her great grandfather and great-great grandfather. She has returned to her family homeland.

Ms. Folsom's paintings reflect a merging of ideas and iconography derived from her ancient Choctaw heritage. Ancient symbols are painted with contemporary colors and media. Since moving to Oklahoma, a personal artistic goal has been to learn more about her Choctaw heritage through the practice of making art.

As a regularly exhibiting artist, highlights of her activities include several exhibitions at Gallery Western in Los Angeles; Materials of the Universe: Connecting Earth and Sky at Gallery ZeinXeno in Seoul, Korea; Woman as River: Liquid Passages at DoubleVision Gallery, Los Angeles; with her husband William F. Matthews, As Dreams are Made On—A Tribute to William Shakespeare at Lois Lambert Gallery, Bergamot Station, Los Angeles; and an artist residency at the Vermont Studio Center. Since moving to Oklahoma, Ms. Folsom has participated in the annual Choctaw Nation Art Show in Tushkahoma and has exhibited as a member of the Southeast Indian Artist Association (SEIAA).

Ms. Folsom's work is included in collections in California, Georgia, New York, South Korea, Mexico, and the Middle East.

About hushtahli (sun) expanding

Hushtahli is the Choctaw word for the sun and its unique force—from Hashi (sun) and Tahli (to complete an action). In this painting, the ancient symbol for the sun is painted in yellow at the central point with strong forces emanating. The shape is found on items made by our mound-builder ancestors, representing a powerful force. Early Choctaw people understood the sun to have great importance. By painting the sun symbol (and other ancient symbols) in my paintings today, I feel more connected to our ancestors. Dennis Peterson, manager of the Spiro Mound Archeological Center, says that artists gain personal power by recreating these ancient symbols. I am one of those artists who derives strength and a sense of hope by continuing and expanding this line of ideas.