Siyo! I’m Atsei Cooper from the Qualla Boundary. My community is full of gifted artists who are always pushing new boundaries. I am grateful to have many teachers and guides throughout my lifetime. Art is a practice that I have always leaned on; my preferred mediums are acrylic paint, colored pencil, pen and ink, beadwork, and creating digitally via Procreate software. As of 2025, I have begun creating with block printing. I have experience creating commissioned pieces for small businesses and individuals, and have sold wholesale. I have collaborated with other artists and was selected as the lead artist for the 2025 Z. Smith Reynolds Public Arts Project. I also completed the inaugural Indigenous Logic Model Cohort with the Center for Native Health in May of 2025, it was an exciting experience to learn from other Cherokee artists and about the world of logic models.

Two of my pieces have been featured in exhibits. “Three Worlds” was featured in 2023 in the Disruption exhibit at the Museum of the Cherokee People. “Private Property” is on display from 2025-2027 in Knoxville, Tennessee at the McClung Museum. This piece is featured in the Homelands exhibit and is part of the permanent collection. The McClung is a Smithsonian affiliate. In 2024, my painting “Moon Mother” won first place in the adult painting division of the Kananesgi Fashion Show; the theme was “Feminine Roots.” In 2024, “Moss Cradle” was selected to compete in the 53rd Trail of Tears art show in Tahlequa.

I am passionate about Kituwah peoples and our ancestral lands. My background as an Indigenous archaeologist informs my work and relationship with the land. I also care deeply about plant medicines, Kituwah motherhood, and being in relationship with our past, present, and future.