B.C. Nowlin’s art mirrors his cross cultural background. Born in Alameda, New Mexico, his family’s land formed the southern boundary of the Sandia Pueblo Reservation. Nowlin came of age steeped in childhood experiences of vibrant Hispanic culture and Native Puebloan mysticism. His stints in seminary school, then the United States Marine Corps define the breadth and paradox of his early life experience. Nowlin emerged in the early 1980’s as an iconic maverick, his androgynous, bicycling portraits of Native America challenging the classical stereotype. Along with Cannon, Pletka, Biss, Red Star, Singer and Schoeder, Nowlin is recognized as one of the avatars of the “New West.” Within a decade, their bold, controversial images swept American Southwestern Art from regional to international significance. Entirely self-taught, using neither photos or sketches, Nowlin has created a visual catalog of spiritual journeys that have become his signature imagery. His palette reflects a stunning array of styles, and a complex originality that has attracted exhibitions in galleries, corporate and museum collections world wide. Nowlin has been described as “that rarest of talents; a restless, experimental intellect, combined with the consummate skills of a master painted.” R. Hay In 1986, Nowlin was adopted into a large Lakota Sioux family in South Dakota. Nowlin's cross-cultural lifestyle has informed much of his imagery.