Jeremy Thompson (Seminole Nation) does not work in isolation, and it shows. Much of what defines his practice today is built alongside his brother, Chris Thompson (Seminole Nation), through their shared venture, Semurai Designs. Based in Tulsa, the brothers have spent two decades developing a collaborative approach to their custom sneaker empire.
Thompson painted his first pair of shoes more than twenty years ago, using leftover paint and a “beater” pair. What began with simple camouflage patterns has expanded into hundreds of custom pairs, including several for celebrities, Indigenous and otherwise.
While their sneaker work brought initial momentum, both brothers have expanded into new directions. Jeremy’s painting practice has gained recognition through the Trail of Tears Art Show, hosted by the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. At the 55th annual exhibition, he received the Mary Ellen Meredith Humor Award, sponsored by First American Art Magazine. The award honors Mary Ellen Meredith (Cherokee Nation, 1946–2024), former interim director and a strong supporter of the Cherokee Heritage Center, as well as the mother of FAAM publishing editor America Meredith. Jeremy won this award Treaties: Osceola, which also earned third place in painting. He also received the Trail of Tears Award for his painting Hvsaklatkv: The Last Simanoli Sunset.
At the same time, the brothers continue to build Semurai Designs as a shared platform. We are thrilled to have Jeremy and Chris Thompson join us for the FAAM Four to share more about their work and vision.
What art is interesting/inspiring to you right now?
Chris Thompson: A lot of what we do has ties to pop and Indigenous culture, so we are inspired by contemporary artists like Steven Paul Judd and Roy Boney. Honestly there are a lot of talented Indigenous artists locally in Oklahoma, and that is inspiring in and of itself.
What are you working on right now?
Jeremy Thompson: We are both currently working on a project for the University of North Florida. It’s a collaboration being led by Denise Bossy and Keith Ashley with Carly Treece of Tvlse Studios curating the work and organizing the participating artists. The focus of the project is to replace the 1500s imagery of the Timucua from Theodore De Bry with accurate and culturally grounded representations created by Muscogee, Miccosukee, and Seminole artists. It’s an honor to work on such a project but also to be able to learn about our ancestors.
It’s a great experience to be able to work with the community and to teach these students not only a new skill but also a little bit about their tribe’s culture and history.
What is the best advice you’ve received as an artist?
CT: The best advice I’ve received as an artist from other artists is to know my worth, and that’s something I still struggle with. If you don’t value the time and energy that you put into your artwork then why would someone else.
Where can people find your work?
JT: You can currently find my paintings Hvsaklatkv – The Last Simanoli Sunset and Treaties: Osceola at the Cherokee Springs Plaza Gallery in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, for the 55th Trail of Tears Art Show. Treaties won third place in the painting category and the Mary Ellen Meredith Humor Award. Hvsaklatkv won the Trail of Tears Award.
My Treaties: Osceola painting is actually part of a series I’m working on. I currently have Osceola and Sitting Bull finished, with more to come in the future. I’m not sure yet how many paintings there will be in the series but plan to add at least two more.
With the Treaties paintings, I used the iconic Wheaties box design as my base. I wanted to replace the athletes that we celebrate with indigenous heroes and moments in history. There’s a lot of witty wordplay mixed in. The concept is a mix of pop culture, humor, and native american history.
The Osceola painting focuses on the Treaty of Payne’s Landing and the legendary story about him stabbing the Treaty. I put my own twist on the story with him giving the middle finger. I want people to look at it and have a laugh but also look into the treaty and see what it meant for the Seminoles living in Florida and their removal. And why it was so important for them to stand up and fight for their land.
The paintings for the University of North Florida will be permanently housed at the Lastinger Center for Florida History and also included in traveling exhibitions and a public Digital Humanities website. The exhibition will open at the Amelia Island Museum of History in early August along with the Smithsonian’s Americans exhibition, running from August 21 through October 10, 2026.
After opening in Florida, the exhibition will begin traveling to museums across the state, with plans to bring the project to Oklahoma this winter as additional venues are confirmed.
- Trail of Tears Art Show, The Gallery at Cherokee Springs, 3377 Cherokee Springs Road, Tahlequah, OK. On view through May 16, 2026
- Seminole (tribe), The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
- Tulsv Studios, Tulsa, Oklahoma