We recently connected with Dwayne Manuel and have shared our conversation below.

Dwayne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

The skill that I feel is most essential in my field is drawing. Drawing is the fundamental root of visual art. Even in painting, you’re drawing with wet color, and in photography, you’re drawing with light. It’s important for visual artists to have some sort of habitual drawing practice in order for them to develop their skills and ideas.

I have been cursed with the personal compulsive obsession to draw, this is how I learned to draw. I suppose you can say I’ve learned to draw early on through willful exploration. It wasn’t until I had gone to school for Art where I began to learn about terminology, process and concepts of drawing. When it comes to drawing, there’s no speeding up of the learning process, it takes time, repetition and experimentation.

There’s no obstacle in the way of learning more, other than the choice of pure laziness.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am called Dwayne Manuel of the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community. I am a visual artist and educator focusing on painting and drawing. I didn’t choose to become an artist, it just happened, like a great white shark doesn’t choose to be a great white shark-it just does what it does.

What I provide is two-dimensional art works that explore life through an O’odham perspective. Along with that perspective, I use US history, Art history, humor, surrealism, graffiti, fantasy and horror to discuss the issues and celebrations of life.

I am at my core a drawer and draftsman, but Im also a painter. What sets me aside from others is my versatility-as I am very comfortable with realism, portraiture, figure work, chiaroscuro, landscape, impressionism, Impasto, abstraction, graffiti and muralism.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My main goal is to push the O’odham presence into the physical and societal perspective and conscience of cities and towns occupying O’odham domain. This includes cities and towns currently labeled as Phoenix and the entire “Valley of the Sun”; along with the cities of Casa Grande, Maricopa, Tucson, town of Ajo and many others. The O’odham presence involves the art, history, inclusion and overall physical presence of my people who have inhabitated Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico since the beginning of time.

Right now, Arizona’s population is growing, As more people come to O’odham Jeved (O’odham Land) we have more development, more people and more cultures staking their presence in O’odham land. So, I feel the O’odham have a specific duty to remain active, relevant and in attendance when it comes to the occupation of O’odham territory. My work and artwork reflects this goal.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

There was a time where I was trying to pursue the full-time artist career, but that proved to be very difficult for me as my work and process does take time and a lot of energy. I found myself getting burnt out and not being able to keep up with bills, because we do have to support ourselves with them “frog skins” in the society we live in.

Fortunately, I had experience teaching, as my masters program at the University of Arizona School of Art prepared me for handling a classroom. So, I began looking for teaching jobs and luckily began a adjunct professorship at the Tohono O’odham Community College. I am happy to say I have been employed at TOCC for six years now and am currently a full-time professor. I teach what I love to do, and I am consistently practicing what I teach, which I’m turn helps out my personal studio work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dwaynemanuel.com
• Instagram: Dwaynemanuelstudio
• Facebook: Dwayne Manuel
• Youtube: Dwaynoinsano
• Other: Online shop: https://dwaynemanuel.bigcartel.com/