Computational Muralism is the practice of using neural networks, custom-trained AI models, and digital painting techniques to produce large-format visual works intended for physical public display. Rooted in the tradition of muralism as socially engaged public art, it replaces the brush and scaffold with LoRA fine-tuning, diffusion models, and generative pipelines, while preserving the muralist's core mission: making art that serves a community and exists in shared space. The term was coined by Daniel Joy Grimes.
The Pamblo project represents one of the earliest applications of this practice in Native American cultural restoration. No photographs of Chief Pamblo were known to exist, and the available historical Nisenan imagery was limited and low quality. Using custom LoRA models, extensive digital painting, and guidance from written historical descriptions, Daniel produced the first visual representations of the leader as large-format murals for public exhibition.
This portrait of Chief Pamblo is the culmination of the Tribe's desire to honor him with a visual representation. While not an exact likeness, it serves as a symbolic remembrance — an image to hold in the community's imagination as we share his story. Created through respectful collaboration between Tribal members and artist, the work combines oral histories, 19th-century descriptions, images of descendants, and traditional regalia with digital artistry and custom AI tools. The AI model was trained on a private, carefully curated Tribal dataset representing the Nisenan's unique visual heritage, provided and owned by the Tribe. A formal agreement ensured ethical use of this sensitive material, safeguarding the Tribe's stories, cultural content, data, and sovereignty. It reflects a shared vision rooted in cultural stewardship, where technology serves as a tool guided by human insight. In honoring Chief Pamblo this way, the work sets a precedent for how AI can be used with responsibility, reverence, and consent to uplift Indigenous histories, not exploit them.
These artworks were created in collaboration with the Nevada City Rancheria (NCR) Nisenan Tribe guided by CHIRP's Visibility Through Art (VTA) Initiative. This intentional and informed collaboration includes hours of consultation with the Tribe to best address their visibility needs. VTA is intended to generate cultural awareness and build an understanding of the Nisenan through art.