“Hopi Lovers” 1973 by Michael Kabotie [SOLD]

This powerful 1973 painting by Michael Kabotie (1942-2009) Lomawywesa ("Walking in Harmony") is a definitive example of his work during the founding year of the Artist Hopid collective. In this piece, Kabotie moves away from the "flat style" depictions of his father's generation to explore the spiritual "essence" and "inner spirit" of Hopi subjects. The figures are deconstructed into geometric planes and heavy, bold outlines — a style inspired by a synthesis of ancestral Awat'ovi kiva murals, Sikyatki pottery patterns, and fragmented perspectives of 20th-century European art

The painting features a Hopi man and woman in an intimate embrace. The female figure on the left is defined by the green hues on her face, her distinctive curly hair, and soft organic curves. Her lips meet his in a kiss. Behind her, the male figure is positioned with his shoulder and leg bent in a "kneeling" or "squatting" posture. In Kabotie's work, this stance often represents a state of imminent power, prayer, or emergence from the underworld into the light.

His eyes are closed, marked by horizontal orange bars reminiscent of the ceremonial paint seen on Hopi Clowns (Tsutskut) or Katsina figures. The surrounding "aura" or cloak is rendered in colors representing the earth, moisture, and the vitality of growing corn.

Because of this timing, the painting serves as a "museum-quality" bridge between Kabotie's early work and his later abstractions. He typically signed these works using his Hopi name, Lomawywesa, in cursive. He received this name in 1967 upon his initiation into the Wuwutsim Society; using it for his abstract works was a deliberate act to ground his experimental style in his spiritual identity.

The date '73 next to his signature is highly significant. This was the year Kabotie and four other artists founded Artist Hopid to "breathe new life" into Hopi art by using contemporary media to interpret ancient traditions for a global audience. This painting is signed Lomawywesa '73 in the top left corner.

About the Artist: Michael Kabotie

Kabotie was a pioneer who intentionally blended traditional Hopi iconography with modern European movements like Cubism and Modernism. Michael Kabotie passed away in 2009 at the age of 67. An accomplished painter and jeweler, his work remains a window into a Native American artistic revolution. This specific painting is documented in Patricia Janis Broder's Hopi Painting: The World of the Hopis (p. 282).

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: Displayed in the special exhibit Ancestral Symbols, Modern Masterpieces: Documenting the Sacred Narratives and History of the Hopi People at Adobe Gallery for its 50^th Anniversary Landmark Exhibition in Santa Fe, NM, May – October 2026. This painting by Michael Kabotie "Hopi Lovers" is from a client of Adobe Gallery, where she purchased it from a private collector in Pheonix, AZ. 

Reference: Broder, Patricia Janis. Hopi Painting: The World of the Hopi, Brandywine Press, New York. 1978

TAGS: Hopi Pueblo, Fred Kabotie, Terrance Talaswaima, Milland Lomakema, Delbridge Honanie, Neil David, Sr., Michael Kabotie