Anishinaabe artist Jonathan Thunder was born on the Red Lake Indian Reservation and continues to live and practice his art in Duluth, Minnesota. He is known for his surreal paintings, digitally animated films, and installations, drawing inspiration from real-time world experiences and social commentary.

While many of his works are influenced by an upbringing that included reading Mad Magazine, collecting Garbage Pail Kids trading cards, and riding skateboards, he is also a student of Ojibwe culture and stories. In his own words, Thunder comments, “These two worlds are integrated to me, yet far apart. Both worlds inform my perspective. I’m also attracted to urban minutiae, bad graffiti, tattoos, tribal symbolism, and children’s tales. I feel these elements help place my work in our time and connect it to where we are today.”

Whether painting or creating virtual animations, Thunder seeks to create images that are both surreal and imaginative, but also incorporate imagery from the social, political, environmental, and spiritual climates around him. He sees each work of art as a small glimpse into his life, one short story within the larger ongoing narrative of his life. By combining his love of painting and passion for animation, Thunder creates art that pushes the boundaries of space to tell the stories that really matter to him.
 

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