Wíhaŋyablapi (of St. Louis)
2026 On view
Artist Kite
DetailsBeads, plants, stones, dreams
Curator Stefanie Hessler
Site Description
Accessibility: The artwork is located outdoors in Tower Grove Park near the corner of Grand Avenue and Magnolia Avenue and is open from sunrise to sunset. It can be viewed from ADA-accessible pathways within the park.
Artwork Details
About the Artwork
Kite is an Oglála Lakȟóta artist, composer, performer, and scholar whose practice spans composition, wearable items, machine learning, and sculpture. Wíhaŋyablapi (of St. Louis) is composed of boulders and plantings arranged according to Lakȟóta geometric symbols. This artwork was developed through an intensive dream workshop led by Kite in St. Louis. Participants’ dreams were translated and arranged into Lakȟóta geometric symbols that reference the infinitely repeating patterns of Lakȟóta cosmology. Symbols include nonhuman beings, such as earth, lightning, and thunder, signaling forces more powerful than humans. Patterns in the work draw from a visual language adapted from Lakȟóta quillwork and beadwork held in St. Louis collections. The sculpture is also a graphic score for musicians, open to improvisational activation and interpretation.
Courtesy of Bockley Gallery.
Kite’s commission is made possible with the support of the Walker Youngbird Foundation and The Hearthland Foundation.
