Warm Springs Apache Man
Allan Houser, 1991 (New Mexico, 1914-1994)
Bronze, edition of 6
“Art was my father’s means of communicating. That was the tool he chose, and he made beautiful art.”
–Bob Haozous
Allan Houser was born in Oklahoma after his family, members of the Chiracahua Apache, had been held in captivity for 27 years. Alan’s father, Sam Haozous, was a Warm Springs Apache, as was his first cousin, Geronimo.
This piece plays tribute to Houser’s Apache heritage, casting an Indigenous face in monumental scale like the busts of classical heroes.
Houser grew up in rural Oklahoma with little access to art. His work explores Native American subjects and themes while using the styles of Western modernism. He was a respected and influential teacher for years of his life.