Come by the Labriola Center and immerse yourself in new artwork by Mirra Keeto (Diné and Tohono O'odham) that is on display at the Labriola Center in Hayden Library, 204. The artwork will be available until the end of the spring semester 2026. Below are details from the artist about her new artwork.
"It is best to not leave a project unfinished."
That is the sentiment I kept in the back of my mind, while examining the pieces I already made for this exhibition. When Dr. Enrico Minardi, a dear friend and mentor, first approached me about creating a list of potential subjects to make art of, we arrived at an enormous amount of ideas. Originally, there were about 30-40 topics. There were some that I knew instantly I wanted to do, while others were on the back burner. I am just one artist after all!
The four new pieces: a Rapheal study, Corto Maltese, Franco Battiato and Giusto Pio, and John Trudell, are artworks that, to me, define where I am now as an artist.
"Corto Maltese After Hugo Pratt": Ink on Paper
Like many nerds around the world, I’ve always been an avid comic book collector and reader. As a kid I used to read many Star Wars, Joker (Batman), Supergirl comics (I’m probably missing a few series). In later years I turned to manga, like Fullmetal Alchemist, Space Pirate: Captain Harlock, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, etc. My favorite series out of all the comics I've read is John Constantine: Hellblazer. I liked learning the lore, and of the origins of these universes, but one aspect that stuck with me was the art style.
Ink is a versatile medium, if used with accuracy! Years ago I took an art course on coming book inking and drawing, learning from an artist called Jeff Pina. I learned how to use the tools that all comic artists use: ink brush, micro pens, ink wash, and white out! It was an art class that I always appreciated. Comics are great because they allow you to fill in the blanks between panels, to imagine the flow of the narrative.
For Corto Maltese, I returned to my comic book origins. While still completing my undergrad in Italian, Dr. Minardi organized a small Italian Fumetti Comics exhibit at Hayden Library. At the time I was interning for him, and was tasked with researching and curating popular Italian comics. I’ve never read any comics in Italian, as they were difficult to find! It wasn’t until the exhibition was completed that one comic caught my attention: Corto Maltese. The art was simplistic, but dynamic and the story... Thrilling!
Prior to starting this piece I read Corto Maltese: Fable in Venice. It was action packed with occultists, Freemansons, and a quest to find the Clavicle of Solomon (a mystical emerald). I won’t spoil it, but I highly recommend it!
This piece is also reminiscent of a drawing I did of John Constantine. I found that my comic drawing style never changed; it’s gritty, but intentional and I like it!
A Rapheal study: "The Head and Hand of an Apostle After Raphael"
I drew this in the Fall semester of 2023, during my first semester at ASU. It was at this time that I started learning Italian. I have to admit it wasn’t easy. In fact, I was lost! Thank goodness I was guided in the right direction, with the help of the Italian faculty at SILC.
Although my rendering is somewhat incomplete, Head of an Apostle after Raphael, is one of my master studies. In art history, drawings of these types are known as preparatory studies. Artists in Italy during the Quattrocento and Cinquecento, studied in bottegas (art studios) under the guidance of a master artist. This one in particular was a study for Raphael’s Transfiguration altarpiece, done around circa 1519.
Portrait of John Trudell: Charcoal, Acrylic Paint, and Gold Ink on Paper
Throughout the planning of “I Am a Line of Words”, I kept John Trudell in my mind. I wasn’t sure what to name this art project, but I often thought of these artworks and the music that accompanied them, an important part of my art-making process. They are also a vital part of who I am. The title of this exhibition has its origins within the book authored by John Trudell entitled “Lines from a Mined Mind”.
I stumbled upon Trudell’s publication while browsing through the Labriola Center’s archives after class one day. The poetry embedded within it is undeniably personal to Trudell’s life experiences, perspectives, and hardships. He creates a dark, gruesome, and an unforgiving perspective of reality and human nature. In the beginning, he asks the reader to leave behind any preconceived notions, politics, in essence "to lose your filter." Trudell referred to this as “the Great Programming”, the way in which our minds are mined by the system and our spiritual nature becomes manipulated.
This piece pays homage to the ideals for which Trudell stood for: Indigenous rights and sovereignty, especially “thinking” as a form of resistance. Personally, it represents the divinity of the cosmos and of divine intervention, the creator. Spirituality and the afterlife. I chose to paint a gold line around Trudell to illustrate this concept. Out of all the artworks included and created in this exhibition, I am proud of this one (along with Franco Battiato and Giusto Pio).
Franco Battiato & Giusto Pio, Charcoal on Paper
Mio caro Franco Battiato. I don’t think I can begin to describe the amount of admiration and love I have for his artistry. In January this year I rediscovered his music. I first heard this song “Centro di gravità permanente" on an Italian web radio (radio80.it) years ago, then rediscovered it on Instagram. Thus, I started my journey into the seemingly endless abyss of his expansive and experimental discography.
Battiato lived his life much similar to Renaissance polymyths, at least, that is how I understood him. He was a multi-talented musician, writer, painter, filmmaker and producer. Of all the themes prevalent embedded in his lyrics is spirituality and are often always philosophical in nature. In the late 1970s, Battiato first started to collaborate with violinist Guisto Pio, a partnership that would last more than two decades. This drawing in particular, was captured around 1978. Battiato and Pio released L’era del cinghiale bianco, an album that would see Battiato return to pop music, after creating experimental (avant-garde) music.
This drawing was started and finished in one day! The hours flew by, I felt as though something came over me! Maybe it was the amount of love I have for Franco.
Franco Battiato’s impact on Italian culture and music is impossible to overstate, he was everything all at once – all the time. In Italy he is known affectionately, as Il Maestro. Battiato gives me endless inspiration, artistically and personally.
Go to the I Am a Line of Words Libguide to learn more about artwork featured, related books and resources, music that inspires Keeto's creative process, and other news and blog posts about Keeto and her exhibit.
Read about the I Am a Line of Words Exhibit Reception.
Learn more about the artist in this article.
Discover more blog posts from the Labriola Center.
Mirra Keeto graduated from Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in spring 2025 with a Bachelors of Arts in art history and a Bachelors of Arts in Italian.
Stay updated with Keeto by following her on instagram.