September 4, 2024 - March 25, 2025

Philadelphia painter Wild Fire Moses Jonah Buffalo Boy is a self-taught artist from the Lakota of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of North Dakota. For Moses, making art is an expression of the patterns, colors, and symbols that characterize his indigenous heritage, as well as a form of therapy. His early childhood was fraught with physical and emotional trauma and the ordeal left him nonverbal until the age of four. At fifteen, he suffered a life-threatening accident. A chemical explosion burned his body and nearly blinded him. After his recovery, he experienced a moment during a fervent painting session when the words “you’re creating like wild fire” ran though his mind. In that instant, he decided to adopt Wild Fire into his name to represent his love for art, and the spirits he believes protected his eyes and his life during the accident.

For Visions of the Eagle Dancer, Moses wanted to create work that incorporated significant emblems from his heritage. At the center of the painting is an eagle dancer which represents a mediator between the physical and spiritual worlds. The dancer is flanked on either side by star quilts which are used in Lakota culture to mark important life events and represent honor and generosity. The mushrooms symbolize spiritual growth and enlightenment, and the sun and moon represent the two poles of illumination found in nature. At the far ends of the mural, Moses painted the Native American medicine wheel known as the sacred hoop. This symbol is known by all tribes of North America. It embodies the 4 cardinal directions and is a symbol of health and healing. Together, these motifs represent the resilience of indigenous peoples, and Moses’s desire to create a healing image for all tribes.

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