John Feodorov

(American | Navajo, born 1960)

John Feodorov is an artist and musician. He creates art that questions and challenges his own experiences, ideas, and assumptions. He is also interested in how identity may be influenced, shaped, and distorted by politics, capitalism, immigration, and alienation. Feodorov is of mixed Navajo (Diné) and Euro-American heritage and notes, "As an Indigenous person, I have seen sacred lands and traditions polluted and exploited. I have witnessed my relatives succumb to alcohol and diabetes and abandon traditions and embrace Christianity and capitalism. While I am careful not to romanticize my heritage, I recognize the effects of alienation and despair. And while I have never lived on the reservation, I have experienced the effects of this within my family as suburbanized Indians. These experiences are what inform my art."

Feodorov grew up in the suburbs of Southern California. His family made annual visits to his grandparent's homestead in New Mexico and this continues to influence his art. Feodorov was featured in the first season of the PBS series, "Art 21: Art for the 21st Century". He is a professor of art at Fairhaven College at Western Washington University in Bellingham.