Contemporary Native American artist Kent Estey is an enrolled member of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe in Northwestern Minnesota. Kent’s lineage includes many self-taught artists where black-ash basketry, beading, birch-bark, and fiber artistry were everyday occurrences in his home.

Kent’s preferred art form is painting, with a preference for contemporary landscapes honoring the beauty of Northwestern Minnesota. His work incorporates bright and bold colors and can reflect feelings and emotions through texture and movement on the canvas.

Kent says, “A lot of the time, the art happens by listening to my feelings. Then, the colors, movement, and elements fall into place, creating something beautiful and meaningful.”

Some of his most recent work incorporates rock, metal, and collage on canvas and board.

Kent’s work has been exhibited in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Bemidji, Duluth, Austin, Grand Rapids, and other regional exhibitions and galleries in Minnesota. Kent has been an educator for most of his life, living and working in Naytahwaush, Minnesota.