Dugan Aguilar

Dugan Aguilar (Paiute/Maidu/Pit River) was born in Susanville, California and educated at CSU-Fresno, where, in 1973, he earned a degree in industrial technology and design, as well as the distinction of becoming the first member of his family to graduate from college. Later, he completed additional course work in photography, at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Today, Aguilar—who works primarily in black and white—is broadly acknowledged to be one of the nation's foremost Native American photographers. Aguilar characterizes his work as environmental portraiture and cites the photography of Ansel Adams as an early influence. An exhibit of Adams' work shown in 1973 at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor had a profound effect on Aguilar's understanding of the medium of photography.

Aguilar's work has been featured in numerous regional and national shows, including recent exhibitions at the Crocker Art Museum and the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe. A graphic artist for the Sacramento Bee, his award-winning photography has also appeared in countless publications, including News from Native California; The Dirt is Red Here: Art and Poetry from Native California (Heyday Press 2002) and Deeper than Gold: A Guide to Indian Life in the Sierra Region (forthcoming from Heyday Press), with text by Brian Bibby and photographs by Dugan Aguilar.

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