Artist Profile: JayCee Beyale

Creating Space for Ceremony

by Maggie Sava

JayCee Beyale’s art is all about unapologetically taking up space.

“The whole idea for me making art was to create visibility. To find space for Native people. And not necessarily to educate in order to agree, but share what these things mean to us. We're capable of being in these realms…. When it comes to institutions and museums, but also public art and these murals. It absolutely creates presence.” [1]

For Beyale, taking up space is a means of creating representation, building community, and giving back. As a Diné (Navajo) artist, Beyale bases much of his art practice on his cultural roots, while also looking towards and uplifting other Indigenous cultures and peoples. [2]

JayCee Beyale, *Santa Fe Mural*, 2024, spray paint on stucco building. Image courtesy of the artist.

Born and raised in New Mexico, Beyale first ventured into art through graffiti, which he discovered through his brother when he was growing up, and his professional training as a graphic designer. [3] As he explains, “style is king when it comes to graffiti,” and over the years he has carefully cultivated his own distinct aesthetic. [4]

Beyale incorporates influences from technology in his work, modeling much of his use of solid shapes and clean lines after vector art and other digital practices. He pulls the vivid, vibrant colors in his works from his experience with street art. The geometric designs he employs reflect both, and he also depicts imagery and patterns found in Navajo jewelry, pottery, sand painting, and weaving, all of which have their own meaning and significance. [5]

JayCee Beyale, *Ádaaní – They are speaking*, 2023, house paint mural with acrylic on canvas, four panels, 5 x 6 feet. Image courtesy of the artist.

In Ádaaní – They are speaking, Beyale combines four panels representing the cardinal directions and their corresponding colors in Diné tradition: black, turquoise, yellow, and white. Each panel includes images of animals or insects—bees, a turkey, a lizard, a wolf, birds, and a mountain lion—as well as both realistic and stylized depictions of plant life. The visible paint drips lining each canvas resemble those that occur in graffiti when the artist applies the paint thickly on the wall.

In this paint installation, Beyale emphasizes the balance of the natural world through the connection between plants, animals, people, and, importantly, water. Water provides necessary sustenance for all life and can also be seen as an important symbol of healing and continual flow. It is also a very real concern for members of the Navajo Nation and many Indigenous communities who do not have consistent access to safe, clean water. In one of his Instagram posts describing this work, Beyale imports, “In our communities, we push through the side of commodification, contamination, and scarcity towards a voice for our water, a voice for our life.” [6]

JayCee Beyale, *DAPPER AF*, 2021, acrylic on canvas, 3 x 3 feet. Image courtesy of the artist.

Beyale’s blending of the modern and the traditional combats the still-pervasive untruth that Indigenous folks are “of the past,” or do not have a place in modern visual culture. According to Beyale, “If space is not being created for Native people to be seen in the contemporary, then we're always going to be seen as something of the past, like a relic.” [7] In DAPPER AF, Beyale depicts an older Native man staring forward, directly engaging the viewer. He has long gray braids, and wears a suit jacket and a top hat—quite dapper indeed. Around his neck is a pink scarf, held together with a silver star pendant. Beyale shows the contrast between shadow and light through sharp, angular shapes and incorporates purple, turquoise, and blue triangles, lines, and circles around the composition, giving the canvas not only a sense of dynamic movement but also a graphic, almost futuristic aesthetic.

Left: JayCee Beyale, *Chei’ in the City*, 2021, spray paint mural at the Denver Central Art Market in the RiNO Art District. Image courtesy of the artist.

Chei’ in the City shows the portrait of a similarly fashionable elder, framed by pink, white, and turquoise lines, blue cross shapes, and outlines of flowers. The man resembles, for Beyale, important paternal figures in his life. Chei’ is not just on beat with the surrounding city, he is a trendsetter in his own rite. As Beyale describes, “he’s been on that felt hat and southwest jewelry game before it was hip, so had to let him stunt on them in RiNo.” [8]

When talking about creative inspirations, Beyale mentions Oscar Howe’s letter written to Jeanne Snodgrass on April 18, 1958. It was his response to the rejection of his abstract submission to the Philbrook Indian Annual art competition on the grounds that it did not fit what “Indian” painting should look like. In it, Howe challenges, “Are we to be held back forever with one phase of Indian painting, with no right for individualism, dictated to as the Indian has always been, put in reservations and treated like a child, and only the White Man knows what is best for him?” [9] Howe’s aesthetic influence is also visible in Beyale’s work—both artists depict Native subjects as vibrant, contemporary, dynamic subjects through their use of clean, geometric styles that employ bold colors to enhance their compositions. [10]

JayCee Beyale, *Interconnectedness*, 2021, spray paint mural, location: Marine Layer, RiNo Art District, Denver. Image courtesy of the artist.

While the term did not directly come up in our conversation, I see a connection between Beyale’s work and Indigenous Futurism, which celebrates the ongoing adaptability, resilience, and sovereignty of Native peoples by depicting them and their cultures as active participants and shapers of present and future realms. [11] Science fiction and fantasy are important forms of Indigenous Futuristic expression in which Native peoples are not just included but seen as primary actors in alternative worlds and realities, a sense that is further enhanced by Beyale’s graphic style.

JayCee Beyale, *Leader of the Pack,* 2024, house paint mural, location: The Maven Hotel. Image courtesy of the artist.

Beyale’s mural Leader of the Pack captures his futuristic style, showing a wolf set against a mountain landscape through simplified brown, gray, and black shapes. He makes the painted image appear digital with his sleek rendering but focuses on subject matter from the natural world. He asserts the presence, prominence, and relevance of this animal and of this land in the modern era, not just showing them as timeless but also as adapting and belonging to new visual languages and social contexts.

JayCee Beyale, *Są’áh Naagháí Bik'eh Hózhóó*, 2023, sand painting with ribbon and eagle feather. Image courtesy of the artist.

While he describes himself as a painter, Beyale has started taking his art off of the canvas (and off of the walls) and into sculptural and installation works. Through his recent sand paintings, he draws from traditional Navajo healing ceremonies, which his grandfather practiced as a medicine person. In the restorative ceremonies, the sand paintings are made to eventually be erased. The practitioners carefully form the sand in deliberate, careful patterns to then rub the sand into the skin of the subject of the ceremony. The paintings simultaneously convey impermanence, as they are destroyed as a part of the healing process, and continued presence, as their resonance remains part of the person they are rubbed into even as their material existence is erased. [13]

Beyale creating a sand painting for the exhibition *Sing Our Rivers Red*, co-curated by Beyale and Danielle SeeWalker at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder, Colorado. Image courtesy of the artist.

Creating sand paintings is an act of ceremony for Beyale, as he connects both to his cultural background and to teachings from his Buddhist faith, which also largely informs his art practice. It is meditative and imparts the importance of being present in the moment. Beyale describes how the process can be physically taxing, asking him to give a great amount of labor and to sacrifice comfort. It also helps teach a sense of humility in our own impermanence, as the artist knows when making the paintings that they are destined to be destroyed. [14]

Beyale sees his sand paintings as part of his participation in the LANDBACK movement, to which he is deeply connected and dedicated. LANDBACK “has existed for generations with a long legacy of organizing and sacrifice to get Indigenous lands back into Indigenous hands.” [15] He incorporates imagery of vegetation and landforms in these paintings to acknowledge the environment, while using the material to “[bring] land into a space” and remind people that the very building they are standing in was built on land that likely belonged to Indigenous peoples. [16]

JayCee Beyale, *Walking in the Stars*, 2024, ribbon, macaw feathers, jingle cones, silver beads, and sand, location: Duhesa Gallery, Colorado State University. Image courtesy of the artist.

Unfortunately, peoples’ curiosity and impulse to touch the paintings have led to the defacement of some of Beyale’s work, which he relates to the human impulse to control, manipulate, and possess, especially in regard to the Earth.

The impermanence of the pieces themselves, and the fact that they cannot be possessed, is what Beyale sees as his “middle finger to the art world.” [17] He is creating art that cannot be purchased or owned. It can only be experienced in a certain place and time before it is swept up, and eventually made into something new.

Beyale is further expanding on ways to create and inhabit new spaces through art creation in his recent installation works. He explains, “When I do [my] installations and I go into institutions or museums, it's more or less like I'm reclaiming that space for Native people…creat[ing] these spaces that not only speak Native but also this energy, the spirit of ceremony.” [18]

JayCee Beyale, *Interwoven*, 2024, installation, wood, India ink, liquid watercolor, wood stain, latex interior paint, sand, and sound. Image courtesy of the artist.

In Interwoven, an installation Beyale created for the Redline Contemporary Art Center’s Annual Resident Artist Show earlier this year, he explores the tenet of interconnectedness inherent to Diné creation, cosmology, and worldviews, which entails the acknowledgment of spiritual presence in all things and a reverence for coexistence. The cross-shaped, wood panels, surrounded by intricate golden geometric frames, recreate designs from Navajo weaving and are mirrored by the sand painting on the floor in the middle of the room. Beyale explains, "Like a network, all that is created by the Dine’ has spiritual significance while honoring our Earth Mother, a place we call home. Being grounded and connected to one’s spiritual presence allows for them to call anywhere home, no matter where they wander or reside.” [19]

As he continues developing his installation work, Beyale is incorporating new elements of sound and other interactive components, including objects like ribbons and jingle cones to share material culture in a direct, experiential way. He is conscientious about how people engage with and inhabit spaces, and shares that he has recently drawn inspiration from Japanese tea ceremonies, which are participatory acts that involve intricate protocols and rituals of their own, as well as Zen gardens and the mindfulness they encourage. [20]

JayCee Beyale, *Sandhill Crane*, 2024, acrylic paint and spray paint, bass wood on wood panel. Image courtesy of the artist.

Beyale’s dedication of his practice and his resources to creating meaningful representation for Native voices is a testament to the great sincerity he brings to his work. His style mirrors the way he talks about his art, drawing attention to the importance of the process and subject matter while also maintaining a wonderful sense of approachability and relatability. He wants people to learn about his culture from his art, but also to uplift others: “When it comes to younger Indigenous folks, how do I let them know, ‘you're cool. You don't even know how rich you are culturally and traditionally and where you come from, and how that is power.’” [21]

He finds himself fortunate that he can pursue this passion both through his personal practice and with his “day job” as a graphic designer for the organization NDN Collective. NDN Collective focuses on empowering Indigenous communities through funding and capacity building, activism, and development. It also leads the LANDBACK campaign.

JayCee Beyale, Mural at The Everett in Denver, Colorado, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.

Beyale collaborates closely on NDN Collective’s art builds, where they bring people together for protests and demonstrations, cultivating connection through creative action. The group was recently present at the 2024 Democratic National Convention protesting against the genocide in Gaza. According to NDN Collective’s social media posts about their protests, the convention is located “upon the traditional homelands of the Council of Three Fires (Chicago, IL) where the largest Palestinian community in the country resides.” [22]

For Beyale, liberatory work requires the recognition that different forms of oppression, and different modes of activation and protest, are interconnected. He sees the intersectionality between the struggles and the resistance of different communities as a site for profound connectivity:

“It’s taken me places—just being able to build with other Native folks representing all kinds of different tribes and communities, getting to know them, and to unite like a Voltron to kick some ass! … We’re inviting community members to do this with us, and to help them heighten and share their voice in this creative process. How do we ensure that those voices are being heard? And those topics are not forgotten? Because these are things that we live with every day.” [23]

Beyale views art as an important and effective tool through which to tell these stories and build awareness around these ongoing issues. He places much importance on his ability to help facilitate that through his role as an artist, but he does not claim the role of activist. “I know there are people doing way more than I am…I'm here to provide my voice and to elevate others, and do it in this really beautiful creative way that oftentimes requires us to get a little rowdy and crazy.” [24]

JayCee Beyale, *Matriarch*, 2021, acrylic wall painting. Image courtesy of the artist.

His sense of humility as an artist is also evidenced by his willingness to have candid discussions about the joys and challenges of his rapidly growing career. Since moving to Denver in October 2020, Beyale has kept himself busy with mural projects throughout the city and along the Colorado Front Range, solo and group exhibitions, collaborations with brands like REI and the Avalanche, acting as the Visual Arts Co-Curator at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder, helping to launch the Creative Nations Arts Collective at the Dairy, and his current residency at RedLine. He admits, “there's a lot of growth happening. Not only creatively but just learning how to be an artist.” [25] He is constantly growing through his work with other Indigenous communities, and through creative collaborations in which he develops concepts and projects alongside other artists, inviting more voices into his work in order to build together.

Despite the pressures of maintaining a full-time job alongside a robust art practice, and of the persistent self-doubt and “imposter syndrome” that many creatives face even with the success they earn for their work, Beyale still finds a way to ground himself with a positive outlook: “You know, the universe is listening, and it will respond.” [26] With all of the work, energy, and care that Beyale is putting out into the world, it is fitting that the response is growing interest, support, and space for his art here in Colorado and beyond.

Maggie Sava (she/her) is a writer based in Denver, Colorado. She holds a bachelor’s degree in art history and English, creative writing from the University of Denver and a master’s degree in Contemporary Art Theory from Goldsmiths, University of London.

[1] JayCee Beyale, interview by Maggie Sava, August 20, 2024.

[2] JayCee Beyale, “JayCee Beyale: Muralist | Fine Artist” accessed August 30, 2024, jayceebeyale.com/.

[3] Jessica Mordacq, “Celebrating Three Indigenous Artists for Native American Heritage Month,” City Lifestyle, accessed August 30, 2024, citylifestyle.com/articles/celebrating-three-indigenous-artists-for-native-american-heritage-month.

[4] Beyale, interview.

[5] Ibid.

[6] JayCee Beyale (@jcbl1), Instagram, September 26, 2022, “This piece tells the story of how the Dine’ (Navajo) people relate to their surroundings. The element of water is a persisting thread binding the Diné to their land, plants, insects, and animals, and ensures that the cyclical nature of the land remains in harmony.” www.instagram.com/p/Ci-gVKoLTHS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==.

[7] Beyale, interview.

[8] JayCee Beyale (@jcbl1), “Wrapped up this ‘Chei’ in the City’ piece yesterday. Chei’ been on that felt hat and southwest jewelry game before it was hip, so had to let him stunt on them in RiNo. This elder reminds me so much of my grandfather, uncles, and dad that I wanted to pay homage and respects to them…,” Instagram, November 12, 2021, www.instagram.com/p/CWLhsacrHrx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==.

[9] Oscar Howe, “I’m Not Going to Stand for It,” in Letters of Note: Art, compiled by Shaun Usher, (Penguin Books, 2020), chap. 4, Kindle.

[10] Interestingly, Beyale mentioned cubism as one of the artistic influences for his work. Howe’s work was often compared to cubism, but he was not fond of that label. Instead, he described his art as reflective of compositional styles of Dakota tradition. Alexandra N. Harris, “An American Modernist: Oscar Howe Fractured Stereotypes of Native Art,” American Indian Magazine 23, no. 1 (Spring 2022), www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/Oscar-Howe.

[11] “What is Indigenous Futurism?,” Center for Architecture Lab: Indigenous Scholars of Architecture, Planning and Design (ISAPD), Center for Architecture, accessed August 30, 2024, www.centerforarchitecture.org/digital-exhibitions/article/center-for-architecture-lab-indigenous-scholars-of-architecture-planning-and-design-isapd/what-is-indigenous-futurism/; Abaki Beck, “Indigenous Futurism,” We R Native, accessed August 30, 2024, www.wernative.org/articles/indigenous-futurism.

[12] “Echo (Maya Lopez)”, Marvel Comics, accessed August 30, 2024, www.marvel.com/characters/echo-maya-lopez/in-comics.

[13] Beyale, interview.

[14] Ibid.

[15] “LANDBACK,” LANDBACK, accessed August 30, 2024, landback.org/.

[16] Beyale, interview.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] JayCee Beyale (@jcbl1),“Here are images of my installation for the Redline Contemporary Art Center Annual Resident Artist Show. The install will be up until March 10th, so make an effort to drop by and see all the work…” Instagram Post, February 8, 2024, www.instagram.com/p/C3GE5eeLGLC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==.

[20] Beyale, interview.

[21] Ibid.

[22] NDN Collective (@ndncollective), “On the third night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), as MN Gov. Tim Walz accepted the Vice-President nomination, a sit-in was held by the Uncommitted Delegates National Movement* just outside the entrance of the United Center…” Instagram post, August 22, 2024, www.instagram.com/reel/C-95r0Uu44h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==.

[23] Beyale, interview.

[24] Ibid.

[25] Ibid.

[26] Ibid.