Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

If you walk into Native Creations, on the wall amongst all of the other work, there will be a piece or two that by sheer color and vibrancy, to me, stand out from the rest. The creator of those works is Kit Thomas. Thomas, from Akwesasne, now calls Charlotte, North Carolina home, but has lived many places and it reflects in her work. Thomas said, “I am from Akwesasne. Frogtown Represent!”

Thomas said she has always been doing art, it’s just her gift. She says, “I was naturally born with it, I think. I have always been doing art, always drawing something for somebody.” In what began with drawing, Thomas now works mainly in acrylic and spray paint, but does sketch and will draw tattoos for people as well.

Thomas went to school for graphic design in Brooklyn, NY but says she wasn’t interested in it. Art was her main passion. Her pieces use lots of color and images from her environment as well as elements from her culture and background. Describing her work and what influences her, Thomas said, “A lot of what I see day to day is pretty much incorporated in my art. A lot of street, a lot of urban influences, I kind of mix the two themes together. Credit to Picasso, I think that when I was a kid that started it all.”

Being in Charlotte for the last 13 years or so, Thomas mentioned that people back home were starting to know her name, saying, “It’s not like street cred. I do what I do here; I do shows and stuff around Charlotte but to be recognized back home, gives me a sense of pride.”

Here Kit Thomas holds two pieces she sold at a show in Charlotte.

I asked Thomas if there was anything she wanted to pass on to the people back home, and this is what she said, “I actually try to be a positive influence in my artwork I will try to add daily positive reminders on the website. I am always trying to put out a positive image. There’s kids coming up to me and telling me that I love your artwork and I wanna be an artist, just keep the dream alive. I know it sounds tacky, but I’d like to pass on to keep believing in yourself. One of my other phrases I like to tell people is it’s a big world and you make your mark on the world however you want.”

In addition to her art, Thomas is working on a line of clothing with native motifs and a modern street edge.

Thomas said, “I love that the Internet reaches so many people and I have the opportunity to share.” Thomas is on Facebook at Kit Thomas ART, and her website is http://kitthomasart.webs.com.