Avis Charley

“Ledger Art” began as male prison art - a new medium in a new environment. Color pencils, crayons, and pages from accounting ledger books spoke of the masculine aspects of culture with stories of warring, hunting, and courting scenes by our ancestors.

Today as a female ledger artist, I share stories of parenting, family, and community. The dynamic figures I draw come alive and engage us with their humanity. They are empowered with bold colors and intricate details in their adornment as they assert their presence, narrative, and strength. 

Avis Charley (Spirit Lake Dakota/ Diné) is a mother and an artist. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Charley is a painter and a ledger artist using color pencils on antique documents. She enjoys depicting Native empowerment using the female form as her main subject. Charley relishes in bringing attention to and celebrating the evolution of the Native identity, from pre-reservation period to the present day, from ancestral homelands to city life. Charley is a graduate from the Institute of American Indian Arts. 

For more information, or for the sale of artwork, please see: avischarleyart.com