James Luna performing “Native Stories” during the 2017 Summer Indigenous Intensive
It is with great sadness and mourning that we acknowledge the passing of James Luna, a Payómkawichum/Ipai/Mexican-American Indian. James has produced professional work for over 40 years having an important international impact and influence on contemporary and Indigenous art world wide.
His performance works such as The Artifact Piece (1987/1990), Take a Picture With a Real Indian (1991–93), and his installation series and performance at the Venice Bienale 2005 entitled Emendatio, (to name only a few) have influenced Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists a like. His work has had a profound impact on performance art and contemporary art practice. His legacy will continue to transform us and will be a source of inspiration for future generations of artists to come.
We have been fortunate over the last few years to have James participate in our Summer Indigenous Intensive Residency program at UBC Okanagan. He presented us with some of his greatest performances creating some of the most memorable moments of our residency program. As always, he was incredibly generous with his time and energy as he worked closely with students and faculty challenging us to be better, more thoughtful and engaging.
Through the high standards, he set himself in performance, photography and installation we learned how to be better artists and educators. Through his presence, we learned how to be better people and trust in ourselves. We are forever grateful for the support and mentorship he provided our students, faculty and our program. We will miss the light and warmth he brought to our world through his art and person.