Tribal artwork Indian headdress fearless fierce empowering

This painting depicts a Native American warrior who wears the striking red war paint that surrounds the eyes. The warrior gazes ominously toward the viewer, as if the viewer is in the line of attack. The band of the warrior’s headdress—bright yellow with a geometric tribal design of blue, red, and black—gives way to tan and black plumage overhead that fans out like the tail of a peacock. A string of wispy feathers colored in white, red, blue, and yellow hang to either side of the warrior’s face. At the bottom of the painting, an array of white lines creates the form of a breastplate, perhaps made of bones. Alternatively, the breastplate could instead be an ornamental or ritualistic garment. The warrior’s countenance is piercing. The viewer cannot help but notice the streaks of red that descend the cheeks of the warrior. It feels as though the warrior is calculatedly watching the viewer, determining whether the viewer is friend or foe.