Sharon Irla
Encyclopedia
Sharon Irla is an award-winning, Native American artist of Cherokee
descent and a registered tribal member of the Cherokee Nation
. A self-taught artist, Irla began entering competitive art shows in 2003. Her collective body of works span the fields of painting, murals, graphics, photography and custom picture frames with Southeastern
/ Mississippi
an motifs. The majority of her awarded works are oil-on-canvas portraits of Cherokee women in both contemporary and historical settings.
“Throughout history,” Irla notes, “Native American women have been depicted in art far less often than Native American men, yet women played at least as important a role. For instance, the Cherokee used to have a Council of Women, and some Cherokee women, like Nanyehi (Nancy Ward
), rose to the honored status of Beloved Woman, or War Woman. These women rendered considerably weighty tribal decisions, but we don’t find paintings of any of them.”
as being most influential toward the development of her own method, which she describes as "a combining of dramatic illumination and Old Masters technique."
which strives to promote Southeastern / Cherokee art and protect the interests of Native American artists.
She assisted GaDuGi artists (Bill Glass, Gary Allen, Demos Glass, Robby McMurtry and Ken Foster) with “The Passage,” an outdoor art installment at Ross Landing / Chattanooga, TN. It was through Ross Landing that many Cherokee made passage to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) during the Trail of Tears.
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
descent and a registered tribal member of the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
. A self-taught artist, Irla began entering competitive art shows in 2003. Her collective body of works span the fields of painting, murals, graphics, photography and custom picture frames with Southeastern
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
/ Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
an motifs. The majority of her awarded works are oil-on-canvas portraits of Cherokee women in both contemporary and historical settings.
Themes
Irla’s most prevalent body of works are oil portraits of Native American women in both contemporary and historical settings. Her stated mission is to emphasize the complexity and importance of Native American women, thereby filing a perceived void in the artistic record.“Throughout history,” Irla notes, “Native American women have been depicted in art far less often than Native American men, yet women played at least as important a role. For instance, the Cherokee used to have a Council of Women, and some Cherokee women, like Nanyehi (Nancy Ward
Nancy Ward
Nanyehi , known in English as Nancy Ward was a Ghigau, or Beloved Woman of the Cherokee Nation, which meant that she was allowed to sit in councils and to make decisions, along with the other Beloved Women, on pardons...
), rose to the honored status of Beloved Woman, or War Woman. These women rendered considerably weighty tribal decisions, but we don’t find paintings of any of them.”
Technique
As a self-taught artist, Irla cites CaravaggioCaravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta, and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. His paintings, which combine a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, had a formative influence on the Baroque...
as being most influential toward the development of her own method, which she describes as "a combining of dramatic illumination and Old Masters technique."
Community Action and Collaborations
Irla is a founding member of the Cherokee Artists AssociationCherokee Artists Association
The Southeastern Indian Artists Association is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Formerly known as the Cherokee Artists Association, the group promotes and protects the interests of Native American, Southeastern, and Native Artists. The Cherokee Artists Association has over one hundred Native...
which strives to promote Southeastern / Cherokee art and protect the interests of Native American artists.
She assisted GaDuGi artists (Bill Glass, Gary Allen, Demos Glass, Robby McMurtry and Ken Foster) with “The Passage,” an outdoor art installment at Ross Landing / Chattanooga, TN. It was through Ross Landing that many Cherokee made passage to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) during the Trail of Tears.
Awards
Sharon Irla's first competitive art show entry was in 2003 with the oil-on-canvas portrait titled "She Was a Warrior" which received Honorable Mention at the Cherokee Homecoming Art Show in Tahlequah, OK. Irla has since won top awards in multiple Native American, competitive art shows.- Honorable Mention - 2003 Home Coming Art show, Cherokee Heritage CenterCherokee Heritage CenterThe Cherokee Heritage Center is a non-profit historical society and museum campus that seeks to preserve the historical and cultural artifacts, language, and traditional crafts of the Cherokee. The Heritage center also hosts the central genealogy database and genealogy research center for the...
, Tahlequah, OK - She Was A Warrior
- Honorable Mention - 2005 Home Coming Art show, Cherokee Heritage Center, Tahlequah, OK - Serpentine Birds
- Best Of Show - 2007 Cherokee Art Market, Catoosa, OK - Cherokee Beauty
- Best of Category (paintings) - 2007 Cherokee Art Market, Catoosa, OK - Cherokee Beauty
- Best Of Category (paintings) - 2007 Trail Of Tears Art Show, Tahlequah, OK - Cherokee Beauty
- Chief's Choice - 2007 Cherokee Nation Holiday Art Show, Tahlequah, OK - Cherokee Beauty
- 1st Place - 2007 Cherokee National Holiday Art Show, Tahlequah, OK - Tellico Mysteries
- Honorable Mention - 2007 Trail of Tears Art Show, Tahlequah, OK - Tellico Mysteries
- Best Of Category (paintings) - 2008 Trail Of Tears Art Show, Tahlequah, OK - Crows Stirring The Magic
- First Place - 2008 Cherokee National Holiday Art Show, Tahlequah, OK - Crows Stirring The Magic
- Speaker Of The Council Award - 2008 Cherokee National Holiday Art Show, Tahlequah, OK - Crows Stirring The Magic
- Chief's Choice Award - 2008 Cherokee National Holiday Art Show, Tahlequah, OK - Warrior's Call
- Best Of Show - 2008 Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Muskogee, OK - Mother's Prayer
- Peoples' Choice - 2008 Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Muskogee, OK - Mother's Prayer
- Honorable Mention - 2008 Trail of Tears Art Show, Tahlequah, OK - Mother's Prayer
- Best of Show - 2009 Southeastern Art Show (Chickasaw Nation) Ada, OK - Beloved Woman of The Cherokee
- 1st Place - 2009 Trail of Tears Art Show, Tahlequah, OK - Mississippian Ink
- Best of Show - 2009 Cherokee Holiday Art Show, Tahlequah, OK - Beloved Woman of the Cherokee
- 1st Place - 2009 Southeastern Art Show (Chickasaw Nation) Ada, OK - Crows Stirring The Magic