Alexander Youvella

Alexander Youvella Sr. (also known as Alex Youvella) is a respected Hopi katsina (kachina) doll carver from First Mesa, Arizona. He is the son of the well-known carver Celestino (“Tino”) Youvella and comes from a multi-generational carving family. He has received awards for his work since the early 1990s, including the Award of Excellence in Kachina Doll Carving at the Southwest Indian Art Fair in Tucson (2005) and best-of-show honors at events such as the Prescott Indian Art Market. His dolls are typically carved from cottonwood root, painted with acrylic or natural pigments, and range from roughly 9–14 inches tall. Examples of his work appear regularly at galleries such as Kachina House (Sedona area), with prices often in the $650–$1,400 range depending on size, complexity, and subject. He has carved a wide variety of katsinam (including Aholi Priest, Warrior Twin, Badger/Honan, Sunface, Chicken/Kowako, Roadrunner, Disheveled Guard, and others).