OKLAHOMA CITY — On February 20, Oklahoma Contemporary debuted “HONOR SONG,” a retrospective of renowned artist Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds, running through August 4. This exhibition spans indoor and outdoor spaces, highlighting his multidisciplinary work, from public installations to teaching, focused on amplifying Indigenous voices.
Heap of Birds, a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, creates conceptual art that challenges historical narratives and advocates for Indigenous rights. Born in Kansas, he studied in Pennsylvania and London before gaining recognition in 1980s New York for his text-based public art on Native identity and colonialism. He later moved to Oklahoma, teaching Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma for over 30 years.
During the opening night, Heap of Birds had a public conversation with deadCenter Film’s Sunrise Tippeconnie about “HONOR SONG,” its themes, and his connection to Oklahoma’s land.
Kicked off by a powerful drum ceremony, the opening was moving, filled with tears, laughter, and tenderness. Heap of Birds emphasized creating art that embodies one’s spirit and connection to the land and urged young Native artists to authentically reflect Native history and reality.
“It’s not just about making images,” he told the audience. “It’s about becoming a steward of cultural practices.”
“HONOR SONG” features over 500 art objects across various mediums, emphasizing identity and cultural heritage from the past 40 years.
The exhibition includes prints, paintings, drawings, glass pieces, sculptures, and poetry, reflecting his journey as an artist and educator. Despite his acclaim and over 200 exhibitions, this is Heap of Bird’s first comprehensive body of work in Oklahoma City. Curators Pablo Barrera and Anna Vittoria Pickett conducted extensive research to ensure the show accurately represents Heap of Birds’ vision.
“This is a long-overdue retrospective,” Barrera said. “Now is the time, and I am so excited that people get to see the breadth of this artist’s work.”
The exhibition maintains a clear through-line: confronting the treatment of Native American communities and advocating for Indigenous agency. It addresses cultural erasure, mass genocide, missing Indigenous women and children, and immigration reform.
“With politics and human rights issues, I go back and tell myself that I’d be ashamed if I hadn’t done something in my career about that,” Heap of Birds told members of the media at a preview earlier in the day.
Another recurring theme in the exhibit is the power of words, with many pieces highlighting carefully chosen words—some in English and others in Cheyenne—that command attention. This emphasis extends to the exhibit’s title itself, paying homage to honor songs—celebratory offerings to commemorate individuals or significant events.
“We are singing our honor song for Edgar’s achievements, while Edgar, through his work, is creating an honor song for all his different subjects,” Barrera told Free Press about the name’s significance.
“Neuf” and the Spirit of Four
A standout feature of “HONOR SONG” is the lesser-known “Neuf” series—abstract acrylic paintings with layered diagonal shapes capturing the natural beauty of Cheyenne and Arapaho lands, particularly Heap of Birds’ grandmother’s land. Created after his move to Oklahoma in the 1980s, the series reflects the state’s beauty while exploring themes of sovereignty and resilience.
“I made it for Oklahoma Native people,” Heap of Birds said about “Neuf” at the media preview.
The series is named after the Cheyenne word for “four,” reflecting the Cheyenne tradition of performing actions in sets of four—a number deeply significant in Cheyenne ritual and cosmology.
“Things are done in fours during ceremonies, and things are also recognized in fours in nature, such as the seasons and geography,” Barrera explained to Free Press.
This motif runs throughout Heap of Birds’ work, embedding Cheyenne philosophy through visual symmetry and deeper meaning. He emphasized that this practice is central to his creative process, even sometimes painting in sets of four. The exhibition is organized into four themes: reckoning, resilience, renewal, and rhythm, each conveyed through different artistic forms.
Layers of history — Heap of Birds’ Ghost Prints
The exhibition also showcases Heap of Birds’ exploration of Native history through his text-based “ghost prints.” This technique creates a lighter, secondary image from the original plate, contrasting bright primary images with fainter ghost prints and reflecting themes of resilience and the erasure of Indigenous culture.
“Indigenous communities are vibrant, contemporary, and very much here,” Barrera told Free Press. “Like this work, Indigenous people are not static. They’re constantly moving and evolving.”
“Surviving Active Shooter Custer” is the first piece in Heap of Birds’ monoprint series to utilize the “ghost print” method, featuring 24 original plates alongside their fainter counterparts. The work uses the term “active shooter” to describe U.S. military massacres of Indigenous people, highlighting cycles of violence against marginalized communities. Another piece, “Family,” features a grid of 24 primary and 24 ghost prints, connecting generations through the names of living descendants and their ancestors.
Art as a guide — Heap of Birds’ unconventional materials
Heap of Birds uses unconventional materials like skateboard decks and municipal-style signage to critique Indigenous tokenism and challenge power structures. His work spans other various mediums, including glass, prints, and even a chair—like the Pow Wow Chair, incorporating Oklahoma’s red dirt, a vintage Pendleton blanket, and his name, symbolizing personal ownership and belonging.
“The concept, the idea, is the most significant part of the work,” Barrera told Free Press about his unconventional materials. “And the medium has to serve that.”
Through public art since the 1980s, he has appropriated civic language from traffic signs to uncover hidden histories. His “Native Host” series explores Indigenous identity and the impacts of colonialism through text and imagery, prompting reflection on who truly belongs in these spaces.
Notable pieces display city names backward to center Native tribes in discussions of erasure, while “Native Host” sign panels arranged in a circle symbolize the importance of circular forms in Indigenous cultures. Another outdoor installation, “Trail of Tears,” uses street signage to highlight resilience among Indigenous peoples, referencing government restrictions.
“The signs started as a way of expressing Indigenous sovereignty,” Barrera told Free Press. “It acknowledges the Indigenous peoples erased from this land.”
A deeper dive into the artist
The third-floor exhibition highlights Heap of Birds’ relationships with students and collaborators, showcasing how his conceptual art has influenced various artists. It includes a fully illustrated catalog with critical essays and unseen ephemera, offering audiences insight into this groundbreaking artist.
For a deeper exploration of the artist, “Neufs for Oklahoma Autumn” opens on April 24, 2025, with a celebration on May 10 at Campbell Art Park. This installation features basketball courts painted with imagery from Heap of Birds’ “Neuf” series, incorporating elements from his “Native Hosts” series to honor Oklahoma tribal lands and the significance of the number four.
Combining these significant bodies of work for the first time, the project fosters dialogue at the intersection of sports, culture, and identity in Oklahoma, illuminating themes explored in the captivating “HONOR SONG” exhibition.
“This is just a spectacular homage to a very internationally renowned and revered artist,” Barrera said about the exhibit.HONOR SONG runs until August 4 and is free to the public. More information is available at Oklahoma Contemporary’s website.
Zoe Elrod covers events and happenings around Oklahoma City for Free Press bringing her skill as a reporter and photographer. Zoe has spent her career covering local musicians, artists, politicians, and everyday folks.
