Richard E. Nephew (Turtle Clan, Seneca Nation, born 1957)

Self-taught sculptor Richard Nephew wrote: “My work reflects my existence as a contemporary Seneca-Iroquois artist living within a contemporary American society. It deals with a broad spectrum of concerns that are both traditional and modern.” Courageously he addresses alcoholism, a serious problem on many reservations, believing that his art sometimes is “introspectively Seneca” while other works “concern all people, and our relationship to the natural and supernatural world.” In Reclining Wino, Nephew uses long-established stone carving techniques for figurative sculpture to depict a contemporary subject.