Trickster Suite (Albuquerque, NM: Tamarind Institute, 1999). 16 lithographs designed and printed with master lithographers Bill Lagattuta, Alexa Burns, and Chris Armijo. Graphic Arts Collection GAX 2017- in process

In 1999, the Tamarind Institute, a division of the College of Fine Arts at the University of New Mexico, hosted a cultural exchange between four artists from the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa and four artists from the pueblos of New Mexico. These eight artists explored the folklore of the roguish trickster, referencing a transformation process through the candor of the storytelling tradition.

The eight artists are Thamae Setshogo, Xqaiqa Qomatcaa, Cg’ose Ntcoxo (Cgoise), Coex’ae (Dada) Qgam, Nora Naranjo-Morse, Felice Lucero, Diane Reyna, and Mateo Romero.

According to the prospectus, “During the first three days of the two-week project, the participants travelled to northern New Mexico sites for public storytelling sessions, then spent the remaining ten days at Tamarind, each making two lithographs in collaboration with the institute’s master printers.

The sixteen finished lithographs represent a colorful and varied interpretation of the idea of the trickster. While not all of the images relate directly to a specific story, they do refer to a transformation process or the storytelling tradition and its directness of communication.”

The Tamarind Institute is a nonprofit center for fine art lithography that trains master printers and houses a professional collaborative studio for artists. Founded in 1960 in Los Angeles, Tamarind is recognized internationally for its contributions to the growth of contemporary printmaking around the world and continues to provide professional training and creative opportunities for artists.For more information, see: http://tamarind.unm.edu/suites/view/10-trickster-suite/