Neil David, Sr. “Coming of Sun” Ahola Painting

This 1975 acrylic on canvas painting, "Coming of Sun", is a fantastic, highly representative example of Neil David Sr.'s early career and his involvement with the influential Artist Hopid movement. True to the Artist Hopid philosophy, Coming of Sun departs from standard two-dimensional, flat-style Native American painting, opting instead for a dynamic, stylized, and geometric composition that mimics the circular nature of the cosmos and Hopi cosmology.

The focal point is a stylized depiction of Tawa (the Sun), rendered as a circular shield. The face features modern, sharp geometric linework reminiscent of ancient Sikyatki and Awatovi pottery motifs, split into distinct segments of turquoise, yellow, and black/white.

Surrounding the sun face is a magnificent halo of stylized feathers, balancing fine, radiating lines with clean, blocked feather tips. This represents the spreading rays of the sun as it rises, a visual metaphor for blessing, warmth, and life returning to the earth.

A powerful arm extends upward, firmly gripping a ceremonial staff or lance that cuts diagonally across the entire canvas, adding striking movement to the square format. The figure wears traditional regalia, including an ornate cape or kilt featuring classic Hopi geometric rain, cloud, and step patterns.

Notice the fine, woven textile pattern meticulously painted in the gold background quadrant to the left of the sun. It mimics traditional Hopi basketry or textile weaves, contrasting beautifully with the solid bands of color elsewhere.

The close-up images capture Neil David Sr.'s classic and highly specific early signing style. On the orange border he has painted his classic stylized monogram, which reads as a flowing "ND" conjoined with a trailing line that terminates in a sharp angle. Next to the monogram is a clear "- 75" for the year 1975.

You can see a faint, secondary marking scratched lightly into the wet paint layers (a sgraffito technique), revealing the under-layers of color. This double-layer of marking is common in his mid-70s works, serving as an integrated element of the painted border.

The palette is dominated by rich, warm earth tones — deep ochres, cadmium yellows, and burnt oranges — juxtaposed against the cool turquoise and lavender bands. It perfectly captures the sensory feeling of a high-desert sunrise over the mesas.

It is an incredibly sharp, vibrant piece that beautifully bridges centuries-old Hopi ceremonialism with the mid-century modern aesthetic that the Artist Hopid collective pioneered.

In 1972, Neil David Sr. (b. 1944), along with Michael Kabotie, Terrance Talaswaima, Milland Lomakema, and Delbridge Honanie, formed Artist Hopid at Second Mesa. This collective set out to instill cultural pride within the Hopi community to document Hopi history, ceremonies, and values through modern visual arts, and to educate the outside world using their own authentic voices.

The mid-1970s marked the peak exhibition period for the group, with landmark shows at the Heard Museum and the Museum of Man in 1974 and 1975. This painting dates precisely to that high-water mark of collective creative output.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Neil David, Sr. "Coming of Sun" Ahola Painting is from the collection of a client of Adobe Gallery

Recommended Reading: Hopi Painting: the World of the Hopis by Patricia Janis Broder.

TAGS: Native American Paintings, Katsina dolls, Hopi Pueblo, Native Drawing, Native Painting, Carving, Hopi-Tewa , Bronze, Neil David, Jr., Neil Randall David, Sr.