About Rebecca Lee Kunz
The Tree of Life Studio was created in 2007 by Rebecca Lee Kunz. The tree of life archetype signifies the connecting of all forms of creation. From this archetype, all life is not only symbolically connected, but thrives when humans draw upon its interwoven nature. We can, at any time, take strength and courage from the earth’s generative offerings. As creativity is the very fabric in which the Tree of Life exists, it is also at the core of our human survival. It is the life force that drives us all.
Rebecca Lee Kunz grew up in Oklahoma and is a multi-media artist and the owner of Tree of Life Studio, and the 2025 Caldecott Award winner. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation and of European descent, Rebecca earned a BFA in painting from the College of Santa Fe in 1998 and now lives in the foothills of Santa Fe County with her husband and three daughters.
Rebecca works at the intersection of climate justice and cultural awareness. Within her layered surfaces, she draws upon tribal mythology and archetypal symbolism. She infuses Cherokee mythology into her work where she is in conversation with each folk tale as a living and ever-changing story. As these myths are woven into each of her pieces, they serve as hard-working and flourishing historical narratives. A visual storyteller, animist, and folklorist, she hopes to illuminate awareness about our shifting cultural climate and to inspire solutions to the social and environmental issues of today. Rebecca likes to push back against sentimental chronicles, and her goal is to spark a contemporary conversation about active myth.
Rebecca Lee Kunz is represented by Morgan Gaynin.
