Francis Blackbear Bosin, Sr.

Kiowa/Niuam (Comanche), 1921-1980

Birth PlaceCyril, Oklahoma, United States, North America

Death PlaceWichita, Kansas, United States, North America

BiographyBlackbear Bosin (June 5, 1921–August 9, 1980) was a Comanche-Kiowa sculptor and painter, also known as Tsate Kongia. Francis Blackbear Bosin was born June 5, 1921 in Cyril, Oklahoma near Anadarko. His Kiowa name, Tsate Kongia, means "Blackbear" and belongs to his grandfather, a Kiowa chief. He attended St. Patrick's Mission School in Anadarko and was exposed to the paintings of the Kiowa Five.

In 1940, Bosin graduated from Cyril High School and moved to Wichita, Kansas in 1940. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served during World War II. In Kansas, he worked as a color separator and plate maker for Western Lithograph and as an artist for Boeing.

Essentially self-taught, Bosin combined Southern Plains flat style painting with surrealism. His first solo exhibition was in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1945.

In 1955, National Geographic featured his acclaimed painting, Prairie Fire. He was the only Native American artist to participate in the 1965 White House Festival of Arts.

Perhaps his most famous work is Wichita's iconic The Keeper of the Plains, a 44-foot steel sculpture erected in 1974 at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers. It depicts a Native American warrior offering a blessing to the sky.

Bosin also designed the insignia for the Wolf Creek Nuclear power plant.

Person TypeIndividual