Inkpa Mani

Inkpa Mani is an artist working in the Northern Plains. He received his Bachelors of Fine Art from the University of South Dakota in 2019 and is working on his Dakota Teaching Certificate and Business Administration Degree at Sisseton Wahpeton College. He has been accepted to the LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting at Maryland Institute College of Art for fall 2021. Inkpa was born in the Twin Cities and shortly after his family moved to a small village in Chihuahua Mexico. When he was in 4th grade his family permanently moved back to Minnesota just off the Lake Traverse Reservation. Living in his traditional homelands has influenced the way he looks at art and wanting to depict an authentic Dakota perspective of contemporary life. Inkpa is a painter, sculptor, researcher and activist. His interest in academics, Dakota traditions and contemporary life are major themes of his work. Inkpa uses Dakota and Western theories of art to create works that help tell stories of his community. His work tells stories of survival, brilliance and hope that he sees in his people. Inkpa currently works as a Geography and Immersion teacher at Tiospa Zina Tribal School on the Lake Traverse Reservation. Inkpa Mani has been working on a group show on the Oceti Sakowin Creation story which will open fall of 2021 and is preparing to sculpt a 10 ft. stone sculpture in Sisseton South Dakota next summer.