LIKE THE LATE Kiowa painter T.C. Cannon, Muscogee Creek artist George Alexander has Oklahoma roots and attended the Institute of American Indian Arts, in Santa Fe. He now keeps a studio, Ofuskie (which Alexander also goes by), in the heart of the Plaza. “There’s a strong cultural overlap between Oklahoma and Santa Fe for Native artists, and both places have shaped my work,” he says. “I’ve always been drawn to the boldness of T.C. Cannon, and a lot of it boils down to the colors he used. His 1973 painting, Self-Portrait in the Studio, has inspired my own painting practice. We immediately notice that the subject is relaxed, sitting comfortably. This differs from historic portraits of Native people, where they’re often stoic and stiffly standing.” Alexander recently reimagined the self-portrait in one of his trademark astronaut paintings. “My subject wears the same floral Western shirt, but I switched the cowboy boots for my Vans sneakers.”