From Ink to Carpet: A Conversation with D.G. Smalling
In the lead-up to OIGA, Encore partnered with Choctaw Nation Master Artist DG Smalling to bring one of his designs to life as a custom rug. The finished piece was featured in D.G.’s Studio during the show and quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the week.
D.G.’s work is bold, rooted, and unmistakably his. Translating it into carpet became more than a technical process. It was a creative conversation built on trust, respect, and the shared belief that art should reflect the people and communities it comes from.
For me, this collaboration represented something deeper than design. It was a moment where cultural purpose met creative alignment, and a reminder of what becomes possible when intention leads the work.
D.G. and I outside of his studio carrying in the tea ceremony rug for our OIGA event.
AL: You’ve described your work as “unapologetically Indigenous.” Can you tell us more about what that means to you, especially in the context of this collaboration?
DS: “Unapologetically Indigenous” means my work begins with a foundation that is never diluted or adjusted for outside approval. It is rooted in a cultural memory that predates and outlasts trend. In this collaboration, that translated into trust—Encore never asked me to soften the message or reinterpret it. It is my privilege to bring cultural clarity and heritage to every medium I touch. Encore amplified it with scale and substance. This partnership with Encore allowed that authenticity to speak through design—bold, direct, and respectful of origin.
AL: You typically work in pen and ink at an intimate scale. What was it like to imagine your work translated into something as large and tactile as a carpet?
DS: It challenged me to think architecturally. The scale didn’t dilute the detail—it elevated the impact. Encore translated the work with care, and the result feels like it belongs exactly where it landed. It was both humbling and invigorating. It demanded I think in terms of movement—how people would step into and inhabit the artwork.
D.G. and the tea ceremony rug close up and personal.
AL: In your words, how does art function within tribal spaces today? And what role do you think design plays in that conversation?
DS: Art in tribal spaces simultaneously holds memory and vision: it records, it teaches, it provokes. Design, when intentional, becomes a way to embed those values into places where our people gather, govern, and dream. Art brings spirit. Design brings function. When aligned, they ensure our tribal spaces are not only efficient but meaningful—and rooted.
AL: Collaboration can be complex, especially when working across disciplines. What felt important to you in the creative process with Encore?
DS: Mutual respect. They listened. Trust and translation. From the beginning, Encore approached this as a collaboration. They didn’t ask me to compromise. They asked how they could carry the work well. Think about that. They respected the integrity of my vision and translated it into their medium with technical excellence and cultural sensitivity.
AL: You’ve said before that “art is the voice of a people.” How do you think that voice changes when it’s brought into a built environment like a hotel, a casino, or a tribal council boardroom?
DS: It gains volume—and reach. When placed in these environments, art becomes part of daily experience, not some distant ‘exhibit’. It affirms identity in spaces where decisions, celebrations, and daily life unfold. It becomes embedded. It shifts from optional to integral. When art enters public and commercial spaces, it becomes part of the narrative architecture.
AL: You’ve worked across many mediums and formats. Is there something unique about the intersection of art and floor design that you’re interested in exploring more?
DS: Yes—floor design changes how people experience art physically. They don’t just look—they walk it, gather on it, live with it. The floor is where prayers begin, where dances rise, where lives unfold. Putting art there honors that space. That creates a new kind of engagement, and I want to explore that further.
AL: Finally, how does this project reflect your own story or the story you’re trying to help carry forward?
DS: It reflects my mission: to embed Indigenous design into contemporary spaces, not as an add-on, but as a foundation. This was a step forward—and a signpost for what’s next.
This collaboration is just one example of what becomes possible when Indigenous artists lead the visual narrative. We’re proud to play a small role in helping that story reach new spaces and new eyes, while honoring it with the care and scale it deserves.
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