This February, Gregory Allicar Museum of Art at Colorado State University proudly presents Pharaoh 171 x Red Berry Woman: Photography + Fashion, featuring photographer Joseph “Sagonige Yanasi” Pekara (Pharaoh 171) and designer Norma Baker-Flying Horse (Red Berry Woman).
The exhibition is on view February 16 to May 12 in GAMA’s Main and Works on Paper Galleries and showcases Pekara’s wildlife, landscape, portrait, concert and music, and Indigenous fashion and culture photography; highlights from Baker-Flying Horse’s Red Berry Woman couture line; and works from the museum’s permanent collection.
“We’re excited to celebrate the outstanding work and tremendous accomplishments of a local artist who has had such a wide reach and impact,” said GAMA’s Director and Chief Curator Lynn Boland. “We are proud and grateful that Joe is letting us share his photographs with the community.”
An artist talk and opening reception will precede the exhibition on Feb. 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. The program and the show are free and open to all.
About the artists
Pharaoh 171 is the artistic moniker for Joseph ‘Sagonige Yanasi’ Pekara, a four-time GRAMMY, and three-time SONY Award winning photographer. From Fort Collins, Pekara is part of the Choctaw and Tsalagi nations and got his start with a DSLR camera that he inherited from his uncle.
His photos from Fort Collins concert venues — especially the indie hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics — led to his main gigs as tour photographer for Nappy Roots and 50 Cent (Curtis James Jackson III). He also takes photos for rappers Wale, Erica Banks and others.
While his primary professional focus is hip-hop and concert imagery, Pekara also excels at photographing wildlife, which he likens to capturing live moments on stage. He also actively makes images of landscapes, portraits and scenes of Native North American culture. Pekara’s powerful photographs of Indigenous culture led to a Cultural Recognition Award in the Visual Arts from the Smithsonian Institute and the Recording Academy (who award the GRAMMYs) in 2022.
“My mission is to capture moments through my lens that tell stories and freeze time,” Pekara said. “Because time is the most expensive thing. It’s the one thing you can never get back.”
More recently, Pekara has taken up high-end fashion photography, working with designer Norma Baker-Flying Horse — an enrolled member of the Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Nation, the Dakota Sioux and Assiniboine tribes, and an adopted member of the Crow Nation — to photograph her newest collections.
Working under her given name, Red Berry Woman, Baker-Flying Horse’s fashion line incorporates Native American traditional styles into contemporary couture and ready-to-wear garments that honor tribal bloodlines and influence contemporary fashion.
Baker-Flying Horse received the 2020 International Designer of the Year award and co-received the 2022 Cultural Recognition Award in the Visual Arts with Pekara. Through her couture, she strives to create pieces that honor and celebrate her tribal heritage.
About Pharaoh 171 x Red Berry Woman: Photography + Fashion
Pharaoh 171 x Red Berry Woman: Photography + Fashion is Pekara’s first ever museum exhibition and will display the artist’s work in genres ranging from concert photography to astrophotography.
Accompanying Pekara’s photographs are examples from Baker Flying-Horse’s recent couture collection, as well as photographs from the collaborative project that won both artists the Cultural Recognition
Award. Pekara and Baker-Flying Horse have also chosen works from the museum’s permanent collection that speak to their backgrounds and interests.
Talks and opening reception
Pekara and Baker-Flying Horse will give artist talks on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. They will discuss their work in the exhibition, the trajectory of their careers, and more. Attendees may also meet with both artists at a reception following the talk. Light refreshments and drinks will be served, and this event and the exhibition are free and open to all.
Support
Ongoing support for the museum is provided by the FUNd Endowment at CSU, and by a grant from Colorado Creative Industries. CCI and its activities are made possible through an annual appropriation from the Colorado General Assembly and federal funds from the National Endowment for the arts. And thank you to our media sponsor, Rooster Magazine.
