Melinda Schwakhofer

Melinda Schwakhofer is a Mvskoke and Austrian American artist who lives and works in the United Kingdom (UK). Although Schwakhofer is distant geographically from her Nation and homelands, she sees the world through a Mvskoke lens. Her practice reflects her journey as a Mvskoke citizen living beyond the reservation, reconnecting to her culture and finding her way home. Schwakhofer works mainly in textiles but also uses photography and mixed media. She is a self-taught artist who has taken textile technique classes and workshops. Schwakhofer has a master's degree in counselling psychology from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and a Foundation Certificate in Art and Mental Health from InsiderArt, Exeter, UK. Her work has been featured in the following publications: the International Journal of Spiritual Direction, First Americans Art Magazine, Bristol Magazine and in My Weekly, in an article titled, “Threads Through Time.” Recently she has shown her work in the exhibition BIRTHRIGHT: Journeys of Reconnection in Bristol, UK, Speak: Speak While You Can, Seminole Nation Museum, Wewoka, Oklahoma, the Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, UK, the 49th, 50th, and 51st Annual Trail of Tears Art Show, Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and FIRST AMERICANS: Tribute to Indigenous Strength and Creativity at Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden, the Netherlands.