Patrick Swazo Hinds 1929-1974

Unquestionably the outstanding Tesuque Pueblo painter and one of the most outstanding of all the pueblo artists was Patrick Swazo Hinds (1929-1974). Adopted at the age of 9 by a California family, Swazo grew up off the reservation but returned every summer to Tesuque. It is this exposure to a different way of life that is probably responsible for his style of art and that, in turn, is responsible for his wide appeal and his great success as an artist.

Swazo's paintings reflect a combination of the traditional with a more modern style. He successfully combined his Native American inheritance by birth with education and exposure to a wide variety of non-Indian artists and their work.

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