Colorful David Chethlahe Paladin Navajo Painting [SOLD]

This vibrant painting by David Chethlahe Paladin showcases the extraordinary range and vision that defined his career. Known for his bold experimentation and spiritual symbolism, Paladin developed a distinctive approach that defied a singular style. Each of his works reveals a new facet of his creativity, and this piece is no exception.

Built with raised layers of sand mixed into the pigment, the composition achieves a subtle bas-relief texture that gives dimension to the richly colored surface. Paladin often blended sand, paint, clay, and other natural materials to form his signature textures, and this piece likely reflects that same experimentation. The painting is alive with mythic resonance, an abstract yet deeply personal interpretation of spirit beings that, in Navajo belief, inhabit the natural world. These beings, shaped by the stories of Paladin's youth, appear to emerge from the landscape in forms both symbolic and expressive.

Paladin's work was also influenced by the Huichol Indians and their ceremonial use of color and pattern, adding another layer of cultural complexity to his vision. His life story, marked by trauma, survival, and spiritual renewal, infuses his art with a powerful emotional undercurrent. After enduring two and a half years as a prisoner of war during World War II and surviving near death at Dachau, he returned to art with a renewed sense of purpose.

Recognized in 1975 by Newsweek as the nation's leading Navajo modern artist, Paladin was named Artist of the Year by The Santa Fean magazine in 1981. His work has been exhibited in major institutions including the Amon Carter Museum, Heard Museum, Albuquerque Museum, and the Museum of Art at the University of Arizona. This painting stands as a testament to his singular voice, spiritual and modern while remaining deeply rooted in Indigenous tradition.

Condition: excellent condition and recently framed using professional archival materials

Provenance: This Colorful David Chethlahe Paladin Navajo Painting is from a collector in Colorado.

Recommended Reading: Painting the Dream: the Visionary Art of Navajo Painter David Chethlahe Paladin by Lynda Paladin

TAGS:  Dorothy Dunn, Navajo Reservation, Native American Painting, David Chethlahe Paladin