. Biography .
Dylan McLaughlin (b. 1989, Navajo Nation) synthesizes noise, image, performance and sculpture citing Diné cosmologies and ecologies of extraction. He looks to familial narratives and the entangles of colonialism that inform the technologies that perpetuate extraction. His work makes felt what can be otherwise left in abstraction. His recent sound and light sculpture installations evoke the exploitation, extraction, and weaponization of Indigenous communities and technologies. He has done residencies at Mass MoCA, Slow Research Lab, and Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. His work has been shown in spaces including SITE SANTA FE, Smack-Mellon, and Denver Art Museum. His work is featured in An Indigenous Present, Speaking With Light, and Museum of Capitalism publications. He received his BFA in New Media Art from the Institute of American Indian Arts, his MFA in Art & Ecology from the University of New Mexico, and a Post-Doc at the University of Texas at Austin. Dylan teaches in the Studio Arts MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts. He serves as Board Secretary for Salmon Creek Arts.
. Artist Statement .
I work as a transdisciplinary artist merging sculpture, photography, time-based media, and community-engaged practice. I draw on Indigenous cosmologies, ecological knowledge, and the socio-political narratives. After earning a BFA at the Institute of American Indian Arts and an MFA in Art & Ecology at the University of New Mexico, I began developing artworks that reveal intersections between cultural resilience, environmental justice, and the ongoing impacts of colonialism. My installations often incorporate sound, performance, and data visualization, translating complex themes—such as climate change, species endangerment, and resource extraction—into immersive sensory experiences. I have exhibited work nationally and internationally, including projects curated by Lucy Lippard and performances developed in collaboration with performance artist communities around the US. This community-driven approach fosters collective storytelling, underscores decolonizing methodologies, and honors the nuanced layers of Indigenous narratives. Through teaching and curatorial collaborations at institutions like the Institute of American Indian Arts and other spaces, my work encourages dialogue, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary exploration. My practice challenges conventional hierarchies in the art world and embraces evolving technologies to amplify underrepresented voices. My art is grounded in the belief that legacy —cultural, ecological, intellectual— can guide us toward more equitable futures. By merging traditional and contemporary practices, my work illuminates the resilience, knowledge, and creativity of marginalized communities in an ever-changing global landscape.