Addison Karl (b. 1982, Denver) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice bridges Chickasaw and Choctaw heritage with contemporary visual expression. Raised in Phoenix, Arizona, he works across painting, drawing, public art, and sculpture, creating work that resonates with cultural institutions, collectors, and communities internationally.
Addison studied briefly at the Art Institute before leaving formal education to develop an independent creative path. Early experimentation in screen printing and printmaking sharpened his focus on drawing and process, laying the foundation for a career that later expanded into large-scale murals, bronze, and glass sculpture. Since 2016, he has trained extensively in bronze casting at Two Ravens Studio in Tacoma and pursued glass casting in Murano, Italy.
His artwork has been exhibited throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with commissions and acquisitions by museums, galleries, and private collections. Major projects include public artworks for civic spaces and cultural institutions, where his designs integrate Indigenous narratives into contemporary built environments.
Addison’s work is noted for its material innovation—such as patinas that transform bronze into turquoise-like surfaces—alongside his commitment to storytelling rooted in Chickasaw and Choctaw traditions. Through his multidisciplinary approach, he positions himself as both artist and culture bearer, blending ancestral knowledge with modern practice to expand the visibility of Indigenous art worldwide.
In 2025, celebrated with multiple awards at the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, receiving First Place in Bronze (Division B) for “Iti”, First Place in Glass (Division E) for “Effigy Four Directions”, and an Honorable Mention in Division H for “South Mountain 1”.
In 2023, he was awarded the prestigious Artist Trust Fellowship and Grant, recognizing his continued contributions to contemporary Native American art.
In October 2022, he earned Second Place in the Bronze Division – Sculpture and Third Place in the Painting Division at the Southeastern Art Show and Market (SEASAM), hosted by the Chickasaw Nation.
Earlier that year, he was invited to a three-month Artist Residency at Amazon Headquarters in Seattle, offering a unique opportunity to develop work in a corporate and public-facing environment.
In 2021, his sculpture received multiple accolades, including Third Place in Sculpture at SEASAM, and both First and Second Place in Bronze at the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market.
In 2020, he was awarded the Tony Stones Award by the Society of Portrait Sculptors, a distinguished recognition in the field of figurative sculpture.
In 2019, he received Third Place in Bronze at SEASAM and was selected for the Artists in Business Leadership Fellowship by the First Peoples Fund, supporting Native artists with entrepreneurial and community-based goals.
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My work transforms Chickasaw and Choctaw stories into contemporary forms, creating living connections between ancestral knowledge and today’s audiences. Through sculpture, painting, and public installations, I invite viewers into spaces where the past and present coexist, showing Indigenous culture as vibrant, immediate, and evolving.
The foundation of my practice lies in dialogue—with ancestral stories, with materials, and with place. Growing up in Arizona’s desert landscapes, I was shaped by both environment and heritage. My journey began in printmaking, later expanding into murals, bronze, and glass. Over time, this practice has traveled across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, building bridges between communities and institutions through art.
Sculpture now forms the core of my work. Each bronze begins with drawing and modeling, then develops through research and experimentation with patinas. I often shift bronze into turquoise-like surfaces, echoing the role turquoise holds in Indigenous art while reflecting the hues of the Southwest that shaped my upbringing. In glass, I pursue equally experimental transformations—pushing material toward forms that carry memory, resilience, and cultural continuity.
At its heart, my work is about relationships: with people, with memory, and with the shared human experience. I strive to create works that are both personal and communal, guiding viewers toward reflection, recognition, and connection. The process itself moves from private sketchbooks into public space, embedding the work in dialogue with its surroundings.
I see myself as both an Artist and a Culture Bearer. My practice resists cliché and stereotype, choosing instead to emphasize the complexity, vitality, and sovereignty of Indigenous Nations. Each piece is a gesture of continuity and transformation—bridging generations, materials, and histories—while affirming Indigenous art as a living presence within the global contemporary landscape.
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COMMISSIONED WORK
2024, August - Biomass Mural - Belltown United - City of Seattle – Seattle, Washington
2023/2024, May - Hayayalgi - Chickasaw Nation - Okana – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
2023, January - Bok Homa Mural - Arts & Culture - City of Seattle – Seattle, Washington
2021/2022, October-March - Itti’ Kapochcha To’li’ - Iron Sculpture - Art Beltline – Atlanta, Georgia
2020/2021, May-October - Sholop Mural - LMC - City of Redmond - Redmond, Washington
2019, June-August - Cassiopeia Mural - Arts & Culture Alliance - City of Knoxville - Knoxville, Tennessee
May - In Service Mural - Department of Veterans Affairs - Words Beats & Life - Washington, D.C.
2018, August - Anowa Chipisala'cho Mural - Unico Properties - Urban Artworks - Seattle, Washington
July - Lagrangian Mural - laNori Management - Munich, Germany
2017, October - Okchamali Nebulae Mural - Murals DC - Washington, D.C.
July/August - Chief Seattle‘s Grandchildren Mural - SODO Track - 4Culture - Seattle, Washington
June - Hope Mural - SRP - Phoenix, Arizona
April - Elpida Mural - Refugee Home - aptART - Thessaloniki, Greece
February - Magnets of Creativity Mural - Words Beats & Life - US Embassy - Karachi, Pakistan
2016, November - Carina Mural – Le Mur – Paris, France
September - Purple Rain – with Jarus - Art Beltline – Atlanta, Georgia
July - Armonía Cromática – with Bimmer Torres - Adams County – Denver, Colorado
June/July - Doradus Mural/Installation – Denver Regional Transportation – Denver, Colorado
2015, October - Messier Mural – TWIF – artSEA – Seattle, Washington
September - Nova Mural - Spokane Arts Mural Program - Spokane, Washington
August - Avatar Mural - with Jarus - Art Beltline - Atlanta, Georgia
March - Tai On Terrace Mural - Hong Kong Walls Festival - Mid Levels Central, Hong Kong
March - Chimi & North Point Murals - Hin Bus Art Depot - Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
February - Leilah Mural - Graffiti World & Nueve Arte Urbano - San Miguel, Mexico
February - Raccoon Mural - Graffiti World & Nueve Arte Urbano - Querétaro, Mexico
February - Gorillastraction Mural - Graffiti World - Mexico City, Mexico
February - Kalimpong Mural - Graffiti World - Mexico City, Mexico
January - Carnalito Mural - The Bakery LA - Pacoima, California
January - Frank Henry Mural - Kitchensink Studios - Phoenix, Arizona
January - John Waddell Mural - Kitchensink Studios - Phoenix, Arizona
2014, November - Symbiotic Mural - Urban Xchange - Penang, Malaysia
October - The Fisherman & The Fish Mural - MOST Art Festival - Moscow, Russia
August - Paris On Ponce Mural - Art Beltline - Atlanta, Georgia
July - Luong Mural - Wall Therapy - Rochester, New York
June/July - Totem Mural - JBAK - LOA - Berlin, Germany
June - 14 Tails Mural - Berlin, Germany
2013, October - Ice House Mural - JBAK - Chalk Art Festival - Sarasota, Florida
September - Murals DC Project - JBAK - Washington DC
May - Secret Mural - JBAK - Mystique Festival - Magdeburg, Germany
April - Generation Mural - JBAK - Phoenix, Arizona
2012, November - Eyes Mural - JBAK - Baja Luka - Berlin, Germany
October - Dresden Mural - JBAK - City Bilder- Dresden, Germany
October - Chemnitz Mural - JBAK - Chemnitz, Germany
September - Keirin Mural - JBAK - Berlin, Germany
April - San Fernando Mural - Los Angeles, California
March - Francesca Mural - Phoenix, Arizona
March - Mural Painting - Hotbox - Chicago, Illinois
2011, November - Wedding Walls Mural - JBAK - Berlin, Germany
2009, November - Squid VS. Whale Mural - Seattle, Washington
SOLO EXHIBITION
2025, May - Summer Rain - Solo Exhibition - Rainmaker Gallery - Bristol, United Kingdom
2022, June - Lost Wax - Solo Exhibition - Lunardelli - Venice, Italy
2017, December - Chokma, Chinchoma? - Solo Exhibition - The Factory - Berlin, Germany
March - Shopullali - Solo Exhibition - LAT - Berlin, Germany
2013, May - Berlin Portraits Exhibition - JBAK - 9 Canvas Series - Berlin, Germany
2010, October - Travels Exhibition - ReTramp Gallery - Berlin, Germany
January - ZOO! Creatures Of Curiosity Exhibition - Assemble Gallery - Seattle, Washington
2009, July - Give Up Exhibition - Retrofit - Seattle, Washington
April - iNVASiON Exhibition - Twilight Artist Collective - Seattle, Washington
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020, September - ’10 years’ Group Exhibition – Galerie Mathgoth – Paris, France
2019, November - Brighter Future: To be heard. To be seen. To be free. - Exhibition - King Street Station - Seattle, Washington
2019, March - 'yəhaw' Indigenous Native - Exhibition - King Street Station - Seattle, Washington
2018, July - 'IMAGO' A History of Portraits - Exhibition - Museum of Urban & Contemporary Art - Munich, Germany
2017, January - ’Format Raisin’ Group Exhibition – Galerie Mathgoth – Paris, France
2016, April - ‘What The Weekend Is Gallery’ Exhibition – The.Art.Union at Urban Spree – Berlin, Germany
2015, July - Millerntor #5 Exhibition - Millerntor Gallery - Hamburg, Germany
June - Wall Dialogue Exhibition - Neurotitan Gallery - Berlin, Germany
May - TONTON² Exhibition - Brussels, Belgium
January - Exploring the New Contemporary Movement Exhibition - Thinkspace Gallery - Honolulu Museum Of Art School - Honolulu, Hawaii
January - ‘La Familia’ – 10th Anniversary Exhibition - Thinkspace Gallery - Los Angeles, California
2014, November - Urban Xchange Group Exhibition - Hin Bus Art Depot - Penang, Malaysia
May - LAX / TXL - JBAK - Thinkspace Pop Exhibition - Berlin, Germany
February - Re-imagining Group Exhibition - Icehouse Gallery - Sarasota, Florida
2013, August - All My Stars Exhibition - JBAK - Strychnin Gallery - Berlin, Germany
August - Project „M“ - JBAK - Strychnin Gallery - Berlin, Germany
July - Circle Show Group Exhibition - Urban Spree - Berlin, Germany
September - Group Exhibition - Re:MMX - Berlin, Germany
June - Group Exhibition - JBAK - SEZ - Berlin, Germany
June - Group Exhibition - Crack Art Festival - Rome, Italy
2010, April - Group Exhibition/Installation - TurmKunst - Berlin, Germany
July - Design Festa Art Festival - Tokyo, Japan
June - Group Exhibition - POVevolving Gallery - Los Angeles, California
FELLOWSHIPS
2023, March - Artist Fellowship Award & Grant - Artist Trust - Seattle, Washington
2019, March - Artists in Business Leadership Fellowship Grant - First Peoples Fund - Rapid City, South Dakota
AWARDS
2022, October - Pehlichi - Division Painting - Third Place - Southeastern Art Show and Market | Chickasaw Nation
2022, October - Ayukpa Pisa Chukma - Division Sculpture - Bronze Second Place - Southeastern Art Show and Market | Chickasaw Nation
2021, March - Okchamali - Division B - Bronze First Place - 63rd Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market
2021, March - Ayukpa Pisa Chukma - Division B - Bronze Second Place - 63rd Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market
2020, July - Okchamali - Tony Stones Award Commended - Bronze - Society of Portrait Sculptors
2019, October - Holisso Pisachi' - Division Sculpture - Bronze Second Place - Southeastern Art Show and Market | Chickasaw Nation
WORKSHOPS
2018, September - Youth Mural Painting Workshop - Chickasaw Nation - Ada, Oklahoma
July/August - Artist Workshop - Double Exposure - Seattle Art Museum - Seattle, Washington
July - Youth Painting Workshop - Urban Artworks - Seattle, Washington
2017, July - Youth Painting Workshop - 4 Culture - Urban Artworks - Seattle, Washington
February - Magnets of Creativity Classes - Words Beats & Life - US Embassy - Karachi, Pakistan
ARTIST TALKS/LECTURES
2019, July - Artist Talk/Lecture – Knoxville Museum Of Arts - Knoxville, Tennessee
2015, March - Lecture – Theories Of Painting - THEi University - Hong Kong, China
2014, November - Artist Lecture - Hin Bus Art Depot - Penang, Malaysia
'curriculum vitae'
For General Inquires, Press, Commissions:
Photo Credit: James Harnois Photography - Amazon Artist in Residence Program