Clever D Garcia, aka Than Ta, meaning Painted Sun in the Northern New Mexico Tewa language. Born to the late Gordon I Garcia, and Angela J Vigil. Clever’s father originates from Ohkay Owingeh and his mother from Tesuque Pueblo. Born into the arts at an early age, Clever Garcia started finger painting and watercolors in his early education. Being drawn to mechanical pencil and colored pencil in his high school career. Clever eventually discovered a paint brush and acrylic paints, as well as sculpting, ceramics, writing and mediation

In the Summer of 2016, Clever Garcia won an internship to be a part of the Walt Disney Imagineering: Place Makers internship in Glendale California, where he shadowed Imagineer art directors and painted replicas and modulars of their future coming attractions: Star Wars: Galaxy Edge. Garcia returned to New Mexico and graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the Spring of 2017. Completing his BFA in Studio Arts and Minor in Creative Writing.

Accompanied by his Senior exhibition “Pueblo Revolt: 1680 Series” in the Fall of 2016. Clever Garcia went on to exhibit at the Poeh Cultural Center in Pojoaque Pueblo on March 2, 2018. Exhibited more of his paintings and “Pueblo Revolt: 1680 Series” as well as newer printmaking works, he created from his senior year at IAIA. Since then, Garcia has been in several artistic shows, and pop-up events throughout New Mexico including the First Pathways in 2019 and Pathways 2023, SWAIA Winter Market 2023 and Krypt and Morgue Fest summer of 2023. Clever Garcia currently resides in Alburquerque NM, exhibiting in local galleries, painting in real time, and pushing the creative conscience of human spirituality and pueblo existence plus experience.

 

Artist Statement:

Born in the Summer of 1992 on August 15, under the Leo sun, created to inspire, dream, and uplift people. Inspired to help bring out the inner flame in humanity, that creative spark that ignites the inner artist within all of us. As a Native first and American second, I have a calling to uphold the traditional ways as well as navigating this modern world and its complexity. Bridging the old traditions of the Pueblo people, to the newer indigenous generations of the future and those willing to learn the traditional arts, New Mexico history and human creative conscience.