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Mike Larsen
(American)
Researching the history of the people he paints and
sculpts, Mike Larsen spends much of his studio time
in books. Accuracy in regalia and dress tell much
about his subjects. For over forty years, he has
spent his life as a full time artist.
Born in 1944 of Chickasaw heritage, Mike grew up in
farming communities in Oklahoma and Texas. Beginning
at Amarillo Junior College, continuing at the
University of Houston and concluding at the
prestigious Arts Student League in New York City,
Mike studied traditional art disciplines.
Starting his career doing street fairs he rapidly
progressed to nationally known art festivals. That
phase ended in the early 1990's and for nearly 20
years he has been represented by galleries
throughout the United States. Mike spends most of
his time creating paintings and sculpture
commissioned by Governments, Corporations and
Individuals.
Mike’s love for painting and sculpting dancing
figures began when he was commissioned by the State
of Oklahoma to paint a 26 foot long mural for the
Capitol Rotunda of five internationally prominent
ballet dancers, all born in the state. He has been
honored to paint eight murals - four about teaching
the arts and four about local Native American
History - for the Oklahoma Art Institute and six
murals for the University of Oklahoma Reynolds
Performing Art Center and School of Dance.
In 2008, Mike completed the two year project of
eight murals for the Pokagon Band Potowatomi Tribe
in Michigan. He has completed the Chickasaw Nation's
Living Elders project and it is currently hanging in
the Oklahoma Heritage Center. A second book on the
Living Elders is in production at this time.
He recently completed a public commission for a
twice life sized sculpture for St. Joseph's Regional
Health Center in Patterson, NJ, and is preparing to
work on a project on the Civil War in Oklahoma. |
