Karen Ann Hoffman

Karen Ann Hoffman is a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and a Haudenosaunee Raised Beadwork artist. She lives in Wisconsin, with woods, grasslands, and a marsh as her neighbors. They also inspire the Raised Beadwork for which she’s nationally known.

Raised Beadwork is an artform with roots that date back more than 14,000 years. It is a cultural tradition that links the lessons of the past with a celebration of the present and an eye on the future. Haudenosaunee Raised Beadwork is a style done only by members of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. In the Haudenosaunee style, beads are sewn onto cloth so they rise above the surface.

Hoffman takes existing forms and expands them to create Raised Beadwork objects that are modern and set a standard of excellence for future beadwork artists. She draws upon two beading traditions as the basis for her creations.

The first tradition dates to the mid-19th century and consists of making beaded souvenir pieces that were sold to tourists. The second, even older tradition consists of making beautiful, functional pieces for use in the community. Hoffman’s Raised Beadwork objects are based on traditional beadwork and grounded in the Haudenosaunee culture while being modern in design. Made to explore and celebrate the Haudenosaunee world view, they are often displayed in galleries and museums.

Hoffman creates two or three legacy (large) pieces each year. Some of her works are in the collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Field Museum in Chicago, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, and Iroquois Museum in Howes Cave, New York.