Atsei Cooper

Atsei Cooper

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Siyo! I’m Atsei Cooper from the Qualla Boundary. I’ve practiced art my whole life; my preferred mediums are acrylic paint, colored pencil, pen and ink, beadwork, and creating digitally via Procreate software. I have experience creating commissioned pieces for small businesses and individuals, and have sold wholesale.

Two of my pieces have been featured in exhibits. “Three Worlds” was featured in 2023 in the Disruption exhibit at the Museum of the Cherokee People.

“Private Property” is on display from 2025-2027 in Knoxville, Tennessee at the McClung Museum. This piece is featured in the Homelands exhibit and is part of the permanent collection. The McClung is a Smithsonian affiliate.

I am passionate about Kituwah peoples and our ancestral lands. My background as an Indigenous archaeologist informs my work and relationship with the land. I also care deeply about plant medicines, Kituwah motherhood, and being in relationship with our past, present, and future. 

3 Worlds

3 Worlds

An illustration of a person with long dark hair, wearing traditional clothing, carrying a large basket of plants and flowers on their back, surrounded by tall green plants against a sky with a large yellow sun.

An illustration of a person with long dark hair, wearing traditional clothing, carrying a large basket of plants and flowers on their back, surrounded by tall green plants against a sky with a large yellow sun.

Illustration of a fish jumping over a large, textured moon or planet with decorative borders against a starry night sky.

Illustration of a fish jumping over a large, textured moon or planet with decorative borders against a starry night sky.

Kituwah III

Kituwah III

Tsalagi Midwife Logo

Tsalagi Midwife Logo

Flyer for the 6th Annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Walk on May 3, 2025, from 3 to 5:30 pm at Oconaluftee Island Park, featuring a traditional Indigenous illustration with floral background.

Flyer for the 6th Annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Walk on May 3, 2025, from 3 to 5:30 pm at Oconaluftee Island Park, featuring a traditional Indigenous illustration with floral background.

Cover page of a program for the Forty-Seventh Annual National Indian Timber Symposium, titled "Restoring Tribal Relations and Values to the Land," held May 13-16, 2024. Features a colorful Indigenous-style emblem with a stylized leaf, flame, or abstr

Cover page of a program for the Forty-Seventh Annual National Indian Timber Symposium, titled "Restoring Tribal Relations and Values to the Land," held May 13-16, 2024. Features a colorful Indigenous-style emblem with a stylized leaf, flame, or abstract figure, surrounded by berries and leaves, with a geometric design at the bottom.