Spencer Asah (painter)
Spencer Asah was a prominent painter associated with the Kiowa Five, a collective of Native American artists known for their unique contributions to the art world in the early 20th century. Born as the son of a medicine man, Asah received his education at Indian schools in the Anadarko area, where he developed his artistic skills under the guidance of Susan C. Peters and Willie Lane. He began formal art training at the University of Oklahoma in 1926, alongside fellow artists such as Jack Hokeah and Stephen Mopope. The group, which expanded to include James Auchiah and later Lois Smoky, is known for the Kiowa flat style of watercolor painting, characterized by its illustrative approach and focus on masculine activities without detailed backgrounds.
Asah’s work gained national attention, and he exhibited at notable venues, including the 1928 First International Art Exhibition in Prague. During the Great Depression, he contributed to the arts by creating murals for various Oklahoma buildings. Beyond his artistic career, Asah also engaged in farming and raised four children, intertwining his cultural heritage with his personal life. His legacy is celebrated as part of the broader narrative of Native American art and its evolution in American history.
Spencer Asah (painter)
- Born: c. 1908
- Birthplace: Carnegie, Oklahoma
- Died: May 5, 1954
- Place of death: Norman, Oklahoma
Category: Painter
Tribal affiliation: Kiowa
Significance: Asah was one of a group of Kiowa artists who initiated the flat style of easel painting, or traditional American Indian painting
Spencer Asah was the son of a medicine man. He completed six years of schooling at Indian schools in the Anadarko area, including St. Patrick’s Mission School. He, along with other youths from Kiowa, joined Susan C. Peters’ Fine Art Club. She was the Indian Service field matron stationed in Anadarko who, with the assistance of Willie Lane, gave the students formal instruction in the arts, including drawing, painting, and beadwork. Peters took Asah to the University of Oklahoma to explore the possibility of his receiving further art instruction. Asah, Jack Hokeah, Stephen Mopope, and Monroe Tsatoke began private lessons in painting in the fall of 1926 with Edith Mahier of the art department, using her office as a studio. They publicly performed dances to raise money for expenses. The four boys were joined by James Auchiah in the fall of 1927. This group is often known as the Kiowa Five; it is also referred to as the Kiowa Six when Lois Smoky, who came to the university in January of 1927, is included.
The Kiowa flat style that the Kiowa Six created was illustrative watercolor, with little or no background or foreground and with color filling in outlines, depicting masculine activities. Asah depicted recognizable people. The group’s work was shown nationwide and at the 1928 First International Art Exhibition in Prague. Asah was hired to paint murals for various Oklahoma buildings during the Depression. Later he farmed. Asah fathered four children.