“Dyani White Hawk: Love Language”

Exhibition explores connection and community through a major survey of the artist’s work at the Walker Art Center

When the “Dyani White Hawk: Love Language” exhibition opening artist talk began on October 18, artist Dyani White Hawk (Sičáŋǧu Lakota) paused a few times and appeared to be experiencing many emotions at once.

When she began, she spoke of the power of community gathered in one place, with all their flaws and strengths, humor and heart, and how it felt like something she had been “dreaming toward.”

This engagement with the communal aspects of art may be familiar to followers of White Hawk’s work, which has long engaged with these ideas. For those less familiar, though, the “Love Language” exhibition, on display at the Walker Art Center through February 15, 2026, offers a primer of her work.

The Walker’s website describes White Hawk’s work as centering on “connection—between one another, past and present, earth and sky.”

“Featuring multimedia paintings, sculpture, video, and more,” the website continues, “Love Language gathers 15 years of the artist’s work in this major survey.”

Communal focus

Her work is highlighted by “Wopila Lineage,” which was on view in 2022 at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Seventeen artists helped create the piece, which consists of many individually beaded panels. (In the Lakota language, “Wopila” is an expression of deep gratitude.)

“Love Language” also features listening booths where visitors can hear conversations between Indigenous women in their region-specific languages. Further evidence of her community work in Minnesota can be seen in her tenure as the Gallery Director and Curator for the All My Relations Arts Gallery on Franklin Avenue from 2011-2015.

Beyond her numerous accolades and accomplishments (including being named a 2024 Guggenheim fellow), White Hawk creates and carries with her a dynamic, contagious connectivity. During the panel, she wondered aloud, jokingly, if more chairs could be brought up as she recognized former teachers, fellow artists and peers in the audience. She mentioned how the Walker Art Center was very generous with her as she continued to press for other artists’ involvement.

The panel included an acknowledgement of the histories of exclusion, divisiveness and erasure of Native peoples within institutions. Panelist Heather Ahtone shared some of her history, including the ways that objects crafted by relatives could end up next to labels in museums. Heather went on to speak about the role of art and artists. “It is not the artist’s job to teach you everything that you need to know and to learn,” she said, “but go and find out … ask smarter questions.”

In this way, the gathering and bringing together of different parts and pieces of work by White Hawk, is a celebration and a challenge. For Indigenous visitors, the exhibition may be familiar; for non-indigenous visitors, this exhibition presents a chance for something new. Or, as panelist Keith BraveHeart said: “Don’t let it end too soon.”

White Hawk was honored by the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District with a 2025 Vision Award on October 29. She spoke of her sense of pride at being based in the Arts District and the opportunities that presents artists.

“Love Language” is on view at the Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis, in Galleries 1, 2 and 3 until February 15, 2026.

Free admission Thursday nights, 5-9 p.m. and on the first Saturday of each month, 10-5 p.m.