Native artist paints with energy
By Vonetta Booker
Unity 99 Convention Online Staff

It's a little too early in the morning for artist Nino Corpuz-a.k.a. "Knee-Know". The Seattle-based painter is trying to stay awake while setting up his oil/acrylic based paintings on the Convention Center's sixth floor, and he's.well, struggling with the energy thing right now.

"You have to excuse me-if I sound delirious, I am, because I'm on no sleep, " he says yawing with a tired smile, as he and his mother get things set up for the crowds of convention-goers.

Knee-Know's a.m. energy level is the opposite of the subjects in his "Dream Dancers" series, which is part of Unity '99's Indian Arts Northwest Gallery. Looking at the paintings is akin to receiving a fresh jolt of adrenaline.

"I don't define figures too much-I like to focus on the surrounding energy," he says of the oil and acrylic creations that seem to explode with just that. Describing his approach to Native American art as a "neo-futuristic attack," Nino explains how he's strayed from "regular" painting methods in order to maintain spontaneity in his work. "I don't use a traditional brush stroke; I primarily use a palette knife," he explains.

"Typically, I like to stay with oils. I like to use a lot of gestural movement; I like to emphasize motion." Knee-Know, a fine arts graduate of Linfield College, was born and raised on nearby Bainbridge Island.

For him, there was no waking up one morning and suddenly saying, "Hmm, I think I'll be a painter today." The artistic vibe was always there, and fortunately his parents nurtured his talent. "My grandfather, mom, dad-everybody kind of pushed me, because they saw that I had a talent in drawing. They let me kind of do my own thing from time to time; my grandpa used to let me draw on the walls," he recalls. "It stemmed from there, I guess."

Truth be told, there were some instances throughout the years where Knee-Know wasn't sure if he wanted to remain in the artist realm. As his grade school years segued into middle and high school, the de-emphasis on art in schools made it easy for him to lose focus.

High school became college, and Knee-Know had his sights on studying sports medicine. "But I pretty much decided in my sophomore year that I'd turn [back] towards art," he says. "That's when I regained a lot of that focus."

Some of his professors also encouraged his talent-so he took his paints and never looked back. Knee-Know mostly paints human figures that are in constant motion-running, jumping, dancing, even kneeling in prayer, such as the blue figure he points to first. "This one's named Tonoah; I named it after one of my students that I worked with at the Californian Indian Center, when I was working down in LA," he explains.

The paintings aren't portraits of the namesakes; he names the paintings after the people whose spirit inspired them. Although the figure looks as though it's on bended knee, Knee-Know explains that the image is open to interpretation by whoever looks at it.

"It could be interpreted several ways-it could be offering, prayer, it could be conceived as dancing. Knee-Know's work can also be seen at Hands of Creation, a Native American art gallery (located at Pier 57) that's co-owned by him and several other artists.

Hands Of Creation administrator Roger Niemier says he's seen a definite increase in Native American art interest over the past few years. "Our artwork here is particularly Northwestern Costal-a very unique artform that's not well known across the country."

Hands of Creation has been in business since 1992, and features artwork that represents Native American cultures across the country as well, such as the Plains, Inuit and Eastern regions. All in all, Knee-Know explains that he's simply trying to represent his Native American heritage.

"The beauty in our culture is exemplified in ceremony, dance, and numerous other tribal traditions," says Knee-Know, who belongs to the Nanaimo Band in Vancouver, B.C. "My goal is to convey a message of timeliness. We have danced through generations, just as we dance now, and we will continue to dance hereafter."