Patrick Dean Hubbell’s paintings are inspired by the environment and the spirit of the natural world, depicting landscapes and organic, atmospheric space. His paintings exhibit an appreciation for the geometric designs of Navajo weaving and textiles, and explore abstraction through the lenses of both modern and Indigenous art. Hubbell’s titles and concepts make reference the matrilineal respect of Mother Nature, as the Diné people see her.

His recent paintings combine gathered natural earth pigments from the Navajo Nation with synthetic oil and acrylic paint. The color intensity produced by this combination of materials supports references to the Southwestern landscape, its unique vegetation, and floral color entities. Philosophically, the juxtaposition of organic and man-made elements reflects Hubbell’s mediation between Diné philosophy and contemporary western aesthetics and ideologies, ultimately suggesting the possibility of synthesis, renewal and rebirth through the depiction of the colors of spring.

Hubbell received his BFA in 2010 from Arizona State University and his MFA in 2021 from the Art Institute of Chicago. His work has been exhibited at the Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ; The Autry Museum of the West, Los Angeles; Rochester Contemporary Art Center, Rochester, NY; Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City, Utah. Hubbell’s work is in the collections of the Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO, the Perez Art Museum, Miami, FL, the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA, and the Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA. In 2017, the artist was awarded a prestigious Pollock-Krasner grant.