About

Carmen Selam is a multidisciplinary artist based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the 14 Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Working in printmaking, painting, and installation, Selam’s practice examines the intersection of Indigenous identity, pop culture, and the historical narratives often left untold in mainstream America. Her work reflects on personal and collective experiences of living both on and off the reservation, reclaiming space through visual storytelling.

Selam holds a BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. She has participated in residencies at Risolana, a community risograph studio (2023), and the Santa Fe Art Institute as part of the Sovereignty cohort (2024). Her solo exhibitions include Commercial Appeal at Art.i.Fact in Santa Fe (2018), Rendezvous Featured Artist in Flagstaff (2019), Indian Time at Collaboration Gallery in Yakima (2021), Indigenous Divine at Oak Hollow Gallery in Yakima (2022), and Rezbians at Fourteenfifteen Gallery in Albuquerque (2023).

She has also exhibited in numerous group shows, including Don’t Let the Palm Trees Fool You at Modified Arts in Phoenix (2025), Re-Discovering Native America at Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek (2024), Paper Treasures at Zig Zag Gallery in Australia (2024), Do You Want To Bead Together at Form and Concept in Santa Fe (2023), and Beyond Mastery at Coe Center in Santa Fe (2023), among others.

Selam's work is included in the collections of the Toppenish School District in Washington, the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe, and Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. She has also contributed to panel discussions, including Breakfast with the Curators with Frank Buffalo Hyde at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (2018) and IAIA at Documenta 14 at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (2017). Through her dynamic and layered practice, Selam continues to challenge dominant historical narratives while celebrating the resilience of Indigenous culture.