Original Painting of a Morning Katsina [SOLD]

Raymond Naha grew up being influenced by some of the most innovative and influential Native American artists of his time. He was born on December 5, 1933 at Polacca, which is at the foot of the Hopi Reservation, First Mesa.  He was the son of Daisy Hooee Nampeyo and Ray Naha, making him the great-grandson of famous potter Nampeyo of Hano. During his life he was influenced by a diverse group of people, beginning with his mother.  Hooee left Hopi at a young age after Anita Baldwin, a wealthy benefactress from California, offered to help pay for eye surgery to rid her of cataracts. Baldwin sent Hooee to school at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, where she studied sculpture and painting. Eventually Baldwin took Hooee on an around-the-world tour to see other kinds of art.  Hooee was Naha’s first teacher, and her influence shows in the European characteristics apparent in his best paintings.

While Naha was a teenager, his mother was married to artist Leo Poblano, who was considered to be one of the finest jewelers at Zuni Pueblo. While he was in high school, Fred Kabotie was his teacher. Kabotie recognized his talent and encouraged him to continue his art education. He was one of the first Southwestern Native artists to break away from the two-dimensional style of Dorothy Dunn’s The Studio at the Santa Fe Indian School. His work is notable for its finely detailed depictions of ceremonial paraphernalia, its wide range of colors, and its excellent sense of movement.

In this painting, the Talavai (or “Morning”) Katsina is seen exiting the Kiva bringing gifts for the children. Naha rendered every nuanced detail of the Katsina with great care. The feathers of the headdress were realistically painted, and the evergreen ruff’s pine needles were meticulously placed. The colors of the Talavai’s ceremonial manta, kilt and sash were drawn with perfect authenticity. In the background, golden rays of the early morning sunrise flood the pueblo with light.  As the Katsina rises out of the Kiva he holds a gift—a Crow Mother Katsina doll—in his hand. Every detail of Hopi life in this painting was done with care. The painting is signed at the bottom right corner and framed under glare-resistant glass.

Condition: this Original Painting of a Morning Katsina at Hopi Pueblo is in excellent condition.

Provenance: From the collection of the Balcomb family who owned a number of art galleries throughout the Southwest.

Recommended Reading:  Southwest Indian Painting by Clara Lee Tanner