JD Challenger

RIP JD Challenger, JD was a great man and artist.

To all of Jd's Collectors, Friends & Fans —
"We that have known and loved Jd Challenger have chosen not to be saddened by his passing but celebrate a life well lived and a talent and message well used. We honor and celebrate the art and soul of the man and the artist, Jd Challenger." Denise Challenger, JD's surviving wife.

Reflections of Jd Challenger, Artist
"The paintings that Mr. Challenger creates puts the viewer in front of a human being with two arms, two legs, and a heart just like yours. And he's asking the world to look - to look at my people, to look at me. This is who I am, this is what I am."
— Ronnie Jimmie, Seminole

"Scholars of American history are now contemplating the ways in which Indian culture has influenced the development of a national character that is uniquely American. Jd's work captures that connection. His uncanny mixture of symbols from two worlds presses the viewer to look for the messages that might be found there. It's as though he is saying, 'I don't necessarily want you to think what I think. I just want you think' ".
— Flint Carney, Comanche Nation of Oklahoma

Jd Challenger was born in Oklahoma with a creative fire that first began to smolder when he was a young child, becoming a wildfire as he reached his teens. After moving to the Southwest, he enjoyed success as an artist painting landscapes. Privately, Jd continued to draw and paint as he started to learn about Native Americans. He was reluctant to show his paintings in public for fear of offending a people he greatly admired. Working in oils and acrylics on canvas, as well as with watercolor, his style continued to emerge and his passion grew.
While growing up in Oklahoma, Challenger was especially close to his “step – grandfather,” a full blood Chocktaw, who first introduced the young Jd to the culture and spirit of the Native American people. It was this relationship that would profoundly influence the direction of his life. Upon witnessing a Ghost Dance ceremony being filmed for a movie, he came face to face with his mission in life. “As I stood there watching the chanting and the dancing, I knew what I wanted to paint . . . nothing had ever been clearer. ”JD Challenger was born in Oklahoma with a creative fire that first began to smolder when he was a very young child. After moving to Taos, New Mexico, Challenger enjoyed success as an artist painting landscapes. Privately, he continued to draw and paint as he was learning about Native Americans. He was reluctant to show his paintings in public for fear of offending a people he greatly admired. "As I stood there watching the chanting and the dancing, I knew what I wanted to paint... nothing had ever been clearer." His wife, Denise, encouraged him to show his work to his Native American friends, one of whom was a holy man. When he did so, he received their blessing and was told, "There has to be a messenger and he doesn't have to be one of our People. The Creator chooses His own messengers. Your path is to tell our story and educate people about the past and about what is still happening today." Challenger takes his role seriously, but modestly declines credit for his remarkable gifts. "The thing I do best is paint. I prefer to look at it as 'not me' doing it, I'm just the instrument... The Creator, the brush, the paint, and then me. JD Challenger paints the story of a people rich in heritage and traditions; stories sometimes poignant, often angry... but always powerful and demanding to be told. Each portrait speaks its own truth. Challenger is the vessel that paints that truth.