Dressed in a baby blue jumpsuit with a beaded necklace and big, beaded orca earrings, Kitana Connelly stood at the front of a room filled with her artwork on February 1.
The 29-year-old citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and descendant of the Umpqua, Klickitat and Molalla tribes greeted family, friends and community members at her art show and book launch at munk-yeʔlan sax̣ali on N.E. 42nd Avenue in Portland with a smile on her face and joy sparkling in her eyes.
“Thank you everyone for being here,” Connelly said during her artist talk, tears running down her cheeks. “I am so excited that we are here.”
Following a year-and-a-half “Emerging Indigenous Artist and Educator” program through Confluence, Connelly organized the Portland event to showcase her project, “Sacred Flow: Creativity as Medicine,” a workbook and coloring book emphasizing the healing power of creativity.
“My book is meant to be a healing and wellness space for the Indigenous community, and for everyone who wants to learn from us as well,” Connelly said. “The real point of the book is to offer space for you finding how to use your creativity as medicine.”
At the book launch and art show, Connelly sought to engage the audience of nearly 50 by providing stations for art and healing throughout the room. Tables in one corner were covered with art sheets from the book along with colored pencils, oil pastels, markers and crayons. From elders to young children and ages in between, community members gathered to color.
In another corner, Connelly had created an activity called “choose what you grow” in which people were invited to write down unhelpful habits or thoughts they wanted to release and place them in a wooden box. Connelly plans to hold a ceremony at a later date to honor that release, using the notes in the ceremony.
On the walls and panels throughout munk-yeʔlan sax̣ali, Connelly told a story of creating the book with examples of inspiration, early book renditions and her art.
In her artist talk, Connelly told community members about her year in the emerging artist program and her dreams with the art book.
“Seeing her up there is very inspirational,” said Kitana’s sister, Kazsia Connelly, an 18-year-old citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.
By opening up about her artistic journey and the book’s personal meaning at the event, Connelly created space for others to tap into their own creativity and vulnerability.
“Her energy is so warm and healing and caring,” said Leah Altman, Oglala Lakota, executive director at Confluence, following Connelly’s art talk. “I would say she’s courageous, she’s fearless. She is a Native leader in her own right.”
An artist’s journey
Connelly grew up in Willamina, Oregon and spent much of her young adult life outdoors by the water.
“I spent time at the river a lot and I would go on walks as a kid,” Connelly said. “I was always drawn to the water, especially the rain.”
When not on a walk, Connelly spent many hours drawing.
She remembers really taking an interest in drawing starting at around 10 or 11 years old. At the time, she spent hours perfecting sketches of video game characters. Most of her early characters were female superheroes and villains from the Marvel or DC franchises, such as Harley Quinn.
One character showed up quite often in Connelly’s early work: her namesake, the character Kitana from Mortal Kombat.
Connelly carried her love of video games into college, where she studied video game art with a focus on environmental storytelling. In 2021, she left art school to take care of her younger brother.
“I graduated from sister to mom, and that’s why I left school,” Connelly said.
Taking in her younger sibling, Connelly began her own journey of self-reflection, learning how to tap into and release her emotions.
“Taking in my brother launched me to look at the parts of me that I didn’t want to look at before,” Connelly said. “That’s when I went back to using art for coping.”
Connelly began to experiment with abstract art, using it as a form of emotional release. Her abstract art became the background for portraits of strong, beautiful, Indigenous women, launching her “Integrated Collection.”
Connelly’s first portrait in the series, Third, is a self portrait.
“It was me helping me see the powerful parts within,” Connelly said. “I have to think that that is me tapping into the magical power of creating and bringing life into things. Bringing meaning into artwork or into painting. And that is just something so attached to feminine energy.”
In November 2021, Connelly launched into a full-time career selling her artwork and started Twahna Creation.
The word Twahna is a combination of her name, Kitana, and the Chinuk Wawa word “T’wax,” which means light.
“It connects with my brand and my mission, which is being a light for the Native community,” Connelly said.
Creativity as healing
In 2023, Confluence selected Connelly as its second Emerging Indigenous Artist and Educator.
“The growth that she has had within herself and alongside our ancestors has just been more than beautiful to witness,” said Heather Gurko, Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, operations director at Confluence. “It’s not just about art for her, it’s about healing. And that was one of the things that really drew us to her when we were interviewing.”
Through the program, Connelly not only created her art book, but also worked in schools as an art educator. As of January, Connelly has joined Confluence as a full-time staff member, working as the Artist and Educator Coordinator.
In just over a year, Connelly came up with a project pitch, created a book, figured out how to market it and hosted her first major event. Her work was supported by Confluence and the greater Native community. In researching her book and how to use creativity as medicine, Connelly spent many hours out in the community working to better understand what healing and connection means.
“I have known her through the good and the bad,” said Sabrina Eisele, a childhood friend who came to the art show and book launch. “With her book, it just goes to show that, although she might not see it, just like her readers might not see it, but we will get through.”
Connelly has found that sharing her vulnerability, as she did at the event, is one of her strengths.
“Sometimes it feels like my job is just to cry in front of people,” Connelly said with a chuckle as tears streamed down her cheeks in front of the Portland crowd. “So this is your invitation to be vulnerable today, and this is a safe space. We’re all going through a lot in our community, so please, I invite you.”
Flipping through the pages of “Sacred Flow: Creativity as Medicine,” readers are encouraged to connect with themselves and the land. One coloring page contains a mantra, “I am connected, grounded, and guided by the wisdom of nature,” surrounded by drawings of nature to color in. Another prompts the viewer to use the medicine wheel to find their own medicine, tapping into the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual.
Connelly hopes this book will serve as a guide for people on their own journey of connection, healing and creativity.
“It was a highlight of my artistic career so far,” Connelly said, reflecting on the art show and book launch. “I feel really proud of myself, and I feel really thankful to have a supportive community. I’m really happy with the turnout and everyone who came to experience all the work that I put into this event.”
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