Vol 1.2 : A Contemporary Native Female Arts Showcase, features the following artists.
Charvel Baldwin, Lyncia Begay, Nani Chacon, Xiana A. Clitso, Carrie R. -Curley, Shamie Encinas, Estelle S. Pete, LaKota Scott, Roshan Spottsville, and Eunique Yazzie.
Ziindi
An independent zine featuring modern Indigenous art.
Category Archives: Zine
Ziindi Vol 1.2
Vol. 1.2: Contemporary Native Female Arts Showcase
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Volume 1.2 is a collection of works by talented artists from the Southwest region.
Celebrating the delicate balance between traditional and modern life: an exquisite and sometimes harsh manifestation. The images in this edition showcase the distinctive perspective of the modern indigenous experience.
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[ Ch’ikééh Baa Hózhó –
A Contemporary Native Female Arts Showcase:
Ziindi Release Celebration – Friday, February 15th, 2013
Navajo Nation Museum Window Rock, AZ 86515 ]
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Featuring artists from Arizona, New Mexico, and California:
Shamie Encinas
I am Tohono O’odham and grew up on the San Xavier reservation in Southern Arizona. As a young girl I liked drawing, until I found acrylics. I later came across oil paints – it opened up a world to so many possibilities. My experiences in different mediums such as ceramics, sculpting, print making and watercolor have helped shape and fine tune my work.
Eunique Yazzie
I’m not a professional fine artist – I’m more of a professional graphic artist that expresses my brain activity through a Bic
ballpoint pen. Whether its my emotions or a song that I’m doodling, “who I am” is in all that ink. I chose a successful career in the communications industry as a Graphic Designer, where at any moment stress and creativity are present. This is a release for me. I love the simplicity of ink on paper, and the complicated details that happen at that moment; unplanned, no eraser. Just myself between a hard place and blank space.
Carrie R.-Curley
My focus is on women and my culture as an Apache woman. We are strong, unique warriors. Like Lozen, a powerful medicine woman and warrior which I draw a lot of inspiration from. She stood strong for her people.
Lyncia Begay
My artwork is a contemporary response to the decadence of modern society as a cathartic rejection, rather than a nomothetic ode to the same frame of thought that refuses to challenge issues that pertain to binaries of race, sex, and borders.
Xiana Clitso
22, Navajo. I am a very free spirit; I can’t say when I first considered myself as an artist. Could’ve been when I was in primary school making clothes for my Barbie dolls out of news paper, shoes out of masking tape, or dresses for myself out of pillowcases; maybe when my peers started calling me a ‘weirdo’. “I’m an artist”, was my only explanation. I work with anything I have at my disposal. I don’t work in a particular medium but I do have my favorites: acrylics and spray paint.
Roshan Spottsville
Originally from Balookai, Arizona on the Navajo Nation, I became fascinated by art at a young age. In my family it seemed that everyone had their own artistic medium, such as rug weaving, silver smithing, painting, leather craft, beading, and sewing. I learned how to weave rugs from my Grandmother; I made pottery, and enjoy drawing. From the time my uncle bought me my very first camera in 5th grade, I’ve been captivated by photography.
Charvel Baldwin
I’m of the Diné people from Gallup, New Mexico. I am of the Red Streak people born for Bitter Water. My maternal grandfather’s clan is of the Towering House people and my paternal grandfather’s clan is white. I’m 23 years old; I graduated from Gallup high school in 2007. I always wanted to paint, but never knew what to paint. One day I was at my best friend’s house and I had a vision. From there on I started painting as a passion.
Nani Chacon
Nanibah “Nani” Chacon is a Diné/ Xicana artist originally from Chinle, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Primarily a painter, Nani has a background in graffiti arts and illustration. She now ventures into large scale art as a
muralist. Nani currently resides in New Mexico; her studio is located in
Downtown Albuquerque. She is currently exhibiting across the U.S.
LaKota Scott
These pieces were created during my undergraduate studies while going to school in New Hampshire. They reflect my connection to home on the Navajo reservation. Through my art I am able to explore my views, learn stories, and teach others about my culture.
Estelle S. Pete
My name is Estelle Scott Pete, of Navajo descent, and I am an enrolled member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes in Parker, Arizona. I returned to making quilts 3 years ago with an interest in making pictorial quilts. Before I can sew my pictorial quilts, I have to sketch out designs on paper using colored pencils. I have no formal art training – I learn as I go. I currently reside in Southern California with my family.
Ziindi Gallery Show
Ziindi: Indigenous Arts Showcase
and Zine Release Party
Saturday, March 3, 2012
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Civic Space Park – Phoenix, AZ
An evening of live musical performances, spoken word, and more in celebration of Ziindi‘s debut issue. Free to All Ages!
Featuring artists:
Jeff Slim
Jeremy Arviso
Thomas Greyeyes
Bahe Whitethorne Jr.
Shamie Encinas
Averian Chee
Damian Jim
ARMZ
Special Performance by:
Ethan 103
With the participation of the following nonprofit organizations:
Featuring booths by:
- Sean Clark and Jules Badoni
- Noble Savage
- Bahe Whitethorne Jr.
- Damian Jim
- Navajo Toddler Language App (by Tink R’ Labs)
- Shamie Encinas
- Averian Chee
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- Shamie Encinas
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- Bahe Whitethorne Jr.
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- Tom Greyeyes
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- Averian Chee
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- Damian Jim
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- Shamie Encinas
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- Tom Greyeyes
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- Damian Jim
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- Bahe Whitethorne Jr.
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- Jeff Slim
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- Averian Chee
Ziindi Vol 1.1
The first issue containing art from the following artists:
ARMZ, Averian Chee, Bahe Whitethorne Jr., Damian Jim, Jeff Slim, Jeremy Arviso, Shamie Encinas, and Tom Greyeyes.
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- Front Cover, Jeff Slim
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- Inside Cover
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- Welcome, ARMZ
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- Shamie Encinas
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- Damian Jim
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- Averian Chee
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- Bahe Whitethorne Jr.
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- ARMZ
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- Shamie Encinas
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- Bahe Whitethorne Jr.
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- Tom Greyeyes
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- Damian Jim
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- Tom Greyeyes
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- Inside Back Cover, Jeremy Arviso
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- Back Cover, Averian Chee
Tom Greyeyes
As a contemporary Navajo artist my work stretches from the stereotypical cliches of token Indians. My work is inspired by a variety of subjects such as protests, empire, the everyday dichotomy that colonized people carry. A sort of Navajo worldview lives in my artwork. This indigenous lens often guides my political agenda. My work is based on experiences as my Indigenous self and my urbanized self, which are always clashing. Through this contention, I make and understand my art.
Using a variety of mediums such as paint, printmaking, video and conceptual based work, I explore different ways to create art using non-traditional methods. I make art to challenge colonial ideas that are so detrimental to Indigenous peoples. At the same time it acts as social commentary bridging ideas and experiences from the contemporary Indigenous reality.
Navajo concepts of Hozho and K’e are the foundation of my beliefs as a human and an artist. Hozho is the beauty and harmony in the way you live your life. K’e relates to your relationship with your people, nature, and all of creation. My work is starting to gravitate around concepts of sustainability and ecology. Native peoples cultures are tied to the land. We are the land. It’s up to us to define who we are rather then the outsider defining us. Through my art I hope to push ideas of Indigenous self determination so we can be our own masters of our own future.
greyeyesart.tumblr.com
Navajo Protest Artists Arrested
Flagstaff, AZ
On September 19th, 2011 @ 6:00 a.m. Thomas Greyeyes (Dine) and Elizabeth Grace Miles (San Carlos Apache) were arrested by Flagstaff Police for creating a street art installation that used organic sustainable materials.
The project used dirt, mud, and corn stalks to make site specific Installations that would bring attention to the highly controversial San Francisco Peaks (waste-water snow) issue. Flagstaff police cited the individuals for criminal damage.
The mainstream media has already misquoted Greyeyes and Miles in various publications lumping them in with other acts of protest. City officials immediately destroyed the art installations with a water hose, broom and dustpan. By 10:00 a.m. there was no trace of any art having ever been placed in public.
Greyeyes is currently majoring at ASU (Tempe) in Intermedia Arts. One of his current art assignments was called ” Without A Trace”. An assignment about making art that would not leave any trace in a community or public space.
He further explains his actions/artwork: “As a creative person, I thought of ways in which I could express my feelings for the Peaks issue. I felt the need to express our own native perspective and show the beauty in that. I wanted to make something that is conceptually and visually strong. Art is often considered to be something to hang on a wall. I was thinking in other ways that could be more powerful. I wanted to merge ideas of culture, protest, and art into one message. I needed to create something that would celebrate the relationship Indigenous people have with the land, our home.”
Grace Miles is an artist, musician of Apache /Navajo heritage and comes from a family of artists. She had strong feelings about the art installation as well and it’s message. Grace Miles added, “We did it for the love. For the people, for the land and for us. We’re artists, we make art, we’re the voice of the people, it’s what we do…”
According to Greyeyes, Dine activist, artist, and student, he felt his actions were necessary because the peaks issue was very close to his heart. He wanted to inspire other people to keep standing up for the Peaks, (a sacred place to 13 different tribes). He also wanted to describe through his art: ” the spirit and fight for protection of sacred Native sites is still with us.”
In recent months, twenty-eight (28) individuals have been arrested for various forms of civil disobedience. All actions of resistance have to been to halt the development (sky expansion and development related to artificial snow making) on the San Francisco Peaks.
Shamie Encinas
My name is Shamie Encinas, I am Tohono O’Odham from the San Xavier Reservation. I graduated from the University of Arizona with Bachelors in Fine Arts. I currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona.
My paintings have always been a reflection of my upbringing and myself. I paint keeping my Him-dag (history, traditions) close to my heart. I convey this with text and symbolism underneath the layers of bright colors.
Jeremy Arviso
Jeremy Donavan Arviso is an artist and designer based in Tempe, AZ. He’s of the Navajo, Hopi, Pima and T’ohono O’odam nations. Jeremy enjoys traveling and is fortunate to have been able to see much o the World. His work is influenced by what he sees, hears and experiences in life.
http://www.rvsodsgn.com
Jeff Slim
Influential elements of one’s life are constantly changing and evolving into something beautiful or gruesome. It’s within these shifts I find myself utilizing various mediums of art to convey these spellbound moments. It is a collection of sentimental memories of stories I have read, heard and experienced that are eventually transpired into my work. A continuous exploration of ways to communicate and connect with my surroundings.
http://www.theallelectrickitchen.tumblr.com
Damian Jim
My name is Damian Jim and I’m a Dine Artist and graphic designer. I’m currently living and creating in Phoenix, AZ.
My creations vary from black and white pieces of fine and bold linework, to brightly colored digital works and mixed meida on canvas. I incorporate writing in both Dine and English in many pieces, fusing traditional and modern visual representations.
DamianJim.com
Bahe Whitethorne Jr.
Bahe Whitethorne, Jr., is a Navajo (Dine), and a member of the Blackstreak Wood People clan. Bahe was born and raised in Flagstaff, AZ., where he has been influenced in art by comic books, graphic novels, children’s picture books, and a big inspiration from his father, Baje Whitethorne, Sr., a renowned Navajo artist.
In 1996, Bahe began an interest in computers and has been working in Computer Graphics for several years. He took his interest to a more professional level and began work with an independent publishing company. In 2002, he started working for Salina Bookshelf, Inc. and during that time, he has helped developed Navajo language brochures, catalogs, posters and calendars, but mainly Navajo language children’s picture books. With a sparked ambition from Northland Press, a local southwest publishing company, Bahe, as a kid, with his father, used to hang out with the staff as they would oversee the printing of several children’s picture books that were written and illustrated by Baje Whitethorne, Sr. Bahe continues printing with the same spirit to each new book.
As technology progressed Bahe became interested in more complex digital graphics, digital film, digital 3D animation, and digital 3D special effects. His new inspirations as a Digital Visual/Art Director is, Ryan Church, Concept Design Supervisor for “Stars Wars Ep.II and Ep.III,” Robert Rodriguez/Frank Miller’s “Sin City,” and Zack Snyder/Frank Miller’s “300.” And with newer technologies Bahe is able to create stunning digital artwork with simulated media software and a digital pen tablet. This new form of digital tool is currently being embraced by Hollywood Films, Video Games, and Animation, as part of the Pre-production, and Post-prodoction of development.
With Salina Bookshelf, Inc., an Award-Winning Publishing Company, Bahe works on developing new manuscripts into visual elements for picture books, series books, animations, and, until recently, films. In 2008, Bahe has just begun his career in painting. Studying, watercolor and acrylics, under his father he currently lives in Flagstaff, Arizona.
http://www.bahewhitethornejr.com
Ziindi 