Large Dan Namingha Corn Dieties

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54" x 74"
ca. 1983
Large Dan Namingha Corn Dieties

Dan Namingha, born in 1950 in Keams Canyon, Arizona, is a renowned Hopi-Tewa painter and sculptor whose work bridges traditional Native American heritage with contemporary artistic expression. He is the son of Dextra Quotskuyva and a great-great-grandson of Nampeyo, a celebrated Hopi potter who revitalized the craft in the early 20th century. Raised by his grandparents on their ranch in Polacca on the Hopi Reservation, Namingha grew up immersed in his cultural roots. As a child, he began drawing with coal on grocery boxes, showing early artistic talent. His elementary school teacher recognized this ability and created a makeshift studio for him and other Hopi and Tewa children interested in art. Namingha’s formal education included a summer art program at the University of Kansas during high school, followed by studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. These experiences broadened his artistic perspective, blending realism with abstraction inspired by modern masters like Jackson Pollock and Adolph Gottlieb, as well as his Hopi heritage. For over 40 years, he has been a professional artist, now based in Santa Fe, where he lives and works. His art reflects the landscapes, symbolism, and spirituality of the Hopi people, often exploring themes like the connection between the physical and spiritual worlds, kachinas (spirit messengers), and the duality of light and dark. Namingha works in various media, including acrylic painting, sculpture (with his first bronze cast in 1974), and collage, often incorporating handmade papers. His style ranges from impressionistic landscapes to pure abstraction, continually evolving as he challenges himself to push artistic boundaries. Namingha’s works are held in prestigious collections worldwide, including the Smithsonian Institution, the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard, the Heard Museum, the New Mexico Museum of Art, and the British Royal Collection in London. He has received numerous accolades, such as an honorary doctorate from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2009 and the title of "Living Treasure" from the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in 2016. His family continues his artistic legacy: his son Arlo is a noted sculptor, and his younger son Michael excels in digital art. Together, they exhibit at Niman Fine Art, the family gallery in Santa Fe. Namingha’s career is a testament to his ability to honor his ancestry while innovating within the contemporary art world.