Lyn Risling, Thukinha Veekxareeyav Asiktavaan, Tattoo Spirit Woman

Lyn Risling is Karuk, Yurok and a member of the Hupa Tribe of Northwestern California. Risling received a Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Davis in 1973 and a Master of Arts from Humboldt State University in 1997. A prominent community member, Risling has dedicated herself to revitalization efforts of her people. She has shown her work in her local annual exhibition, From the Source, which has been sponsored by the Ink People and the United Indian Health Services in Eureka and Arcata, California. In 2004, she was a recipient of the First Peoples Fund's Community Spirit Award which honors a Native Artists whose works reflect a strong commitment to their communities and Native culture.

Her paintings reflect a worldview that comes from her tribal heritage by revealing glimpses into stories, ceremonies and other traditions. Risling’s artistic ability to integrate the concept of decolonization with the revitalization of traditional ways is balanced with a sense of renewal, balance, transformation and continuation. Her use of vibrant colors and tribal designs helps connect the physical and spiritual world, as well as the past and present. In a solo show at the C.N. Gorman Museum, she explored and addressed the re-surfacing of the One-Eleven tattooing practice by Klamath and the Salmon and Trinity River peoples. Risling is the daughter of activist, leader, and UC Davis emeritus professor of Native American Studies, the late David Risling. Currently, she teaches art and culture to Native youth, in addition to her participation in many community organizations and events.