Kiowa Tribe

     Born in 1939 Robert Redbird,is a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and the Kiowa Gourd Clan, and an artist noted for his depiction of his tribe’s ceremonials and spirituality in his works.

Redbird’s art is full of his conviction that Native American culture is a beautiful way of life. He has studied the culture of many Indian nations beside his own, and this vast knowledge of American Indian traditions is evident in his paintings.

His art conveys his feel for Kiowa tradition and ceremonies, for the spiritual in the cultures of many tribes, and for the world of nature. 

In addition to his artistic accomplishments, Redbird's travels with his art led him to many places, and wherever he has gone, he has left a trail of humanitarian achievements. He is an ordained minister and a gospel musician, and his deep religious convictions have prompted him to establish missions to aid the poor in various places.

He often uses his art to contribute to important causes, such as the paintings he sent to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to be sold for funds to help the victims of the terrorist attacks in that city in September of 2001. At the same time, he contributed in a similar manner to the firefighters’ organization there for the aid of those families who lost firefighter members during that time.


Inner inspiration for Redbird’s paintings comes from the stories he has heard from his grand parents and the older Kiowa people. His themes include legends, visions and the culture of the Kiowa people. The style of his paintings is contemporary, drawing from his Oklahoma heritage as well as from the influences of the Southwest Indian tribes of Arizona and New Mexico.

Redbird has received many top awards at shows like the Colorado Indian Market, the Dallas Cultural Center, the Heard Museum Show, the Gallup Ceremonial, the Oklahoma Indian Art Center Invitational, the American Indian Exposition, and many others. In 2002, he was selected as the featured artist for the Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City. Redbird was chosen for his technical contributions to be inducted into the National Motion Picture Hall of Fame, and in 1998 he was inducted into the Kiowa Hall of Fame.


His name is recognized world-wide. He was named to the top five of the list of “Best Investments in Indian Art Under $1,000” for 1987.  In 1981, Texas Christian University Press published a large hardcover book titled 'Kiowa Voices'. A Redbird painting, “Peyote Visions,” was featured on the cover. The Press published a second volume in 1983 and again included a Redbird painting, “Tribal Memories,” on the cover.

Robert Redbird’s work is in great demand. His paintings have been added to collections in all 50 states and some nine foreign countries over the last several years and the demand for his work continues to grow.