Shonto Begay Painting Titled Walk Away 2007

Walk Away (2007) by Shonto Begay presents a poignant moment of solitude and resolve. In the composition, a lone figure moves away from the viewer, venturing into the open desert. The figure's posture suggests determination, perhaps weariness, as he sets out under the mounting heat of the day. The atmosphere shimmers with light, and the land, though sparse, is dotted with small elements of detritus, remnants of human life and time in a vast landscape.

Painted on a hard surface rather than canvas, this painting carries a remarkable luminosity. The paint appears more transparent, allowing light to pass through and reflect off the surface in subtle ways. Delicate hash marks, distinctive gestures of Begay's hand, animate the entire scene, giving texture and life to the terrain. The result is a landscape not just seen but felt.

Begay's early experience in Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools was one of isolation, and it was through drawing that he found a way to stay connected to home. Sketching the desert, observing its changes, and translating its quiet beauty into line and color became a profound act of survival and expression. Walk Away feels born from that place, a reflection of internal journeys and the enduring pull of the land.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: This Shonto Begay Painting Titled Walk Away 2007 is from a collector in Albuquerque.

Recommended Reading: Shonto Begay - His Life and Work by Hanna Lieff, 2004

TAGS: drawing, painting, Diné of the Navajo Nation, Shonto Begay