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Nanibah Chacon: "Erase the Horse..."

May 1, 2025 – June 21, 2026

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"Erase the Horse..." by Nanibah Chacon, a large, black-and-white mural featuring a horse opposite a geometric design, installed in the lobby of the Albuquerque Museum.

Nanibah Chacon, "Erase the Horse...", 2025, string and polyacrylic paint, 216 x 646 in.

Artist Talk: Nanibah Chacon, January 10, 2026

"Erase the Horse..." by Nanibah Chacon, a large, black-and-white mural featuring a horse opposite a geometric design, installed in the lobby of the Albuquerque Museum.

"Erase the Horse..."

Detail of "Erase the Horse..." by Nanibah Chacon, showing the left side of the mural which features a white horse against a black background.

"Erase the Horse..." (detail)

Detail of "Erase the Horse..." by Nanibah Chacon, showing the right side of the mural which features a black geometric design against a white background.

"Erase the Horse..." (detail)

Albuquerque Museum’s Visiting Artist program is generously funded by the Frederick Hammersley Fund for the Arts at the Albuquerque Community Foundation.

From the artist: “Erase the Horse…” was a concept spoken by my late father, Lawrence Chacon, when talking about ideas of decolonization. He would explain that colonization started when Native Americans adopted the horse, an animal brought over by the Spanish in 1519. The horse then became integral to the livelihood of Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. To begin a decolonized thinking, we must start with the horse and erase it.

A black-and-white headshot of artist Nanibah Chacon, who has long, wavy, dark-colored hair and wears large earrings and a black shirt.

Photo: Nakai Rodriguez

About the Artist

Nanibah "Nani" Chacon (born 1980 Gallup, New Mexico; lives Albuquerque) is a Diné (Navajo) and Chicana artist. She is most recognized as a painter and muralist, but expands across multiple disciplines including illustration, installation, and sculpture. Her most notable works have been within the public arts sector, in which she has a cumulative experience of over 20 years. The focus of her work includes the integration of sociopolitical issues affecting women and Indigenous Peoples. Chacon’s most recognized work includes large-scale painting, murals, and public installation, facilitating the content of her work as well as her personal philosophy that art should be accessible and a meaningful catalyst for social change.

Nanibah Chacon's Website