Terrance Talaswaima (Honvantewa) Awatovi Rain Priest Painting

This striking 1976 painting is an original piece executed in the Artist Hopid style that defined contemporary Hopi art in the 1970s. The central subject is a beautifully stylized representation of the Hopi ritual figure identified on the back of the canvas as the Awatovi Rain Priest. 

The painting is rendered with bold black outlines and flat geometric fields of color. The figure holds a rattle in one hand and a paho (sacred prayer-feather stick) in the other. The background features a vibrant coral/orange hue with a distinct, multi-layered "splatter" or sponge-texture technique, which subtly incorporates flecks of turquoise/light blue. This textured backdrop was a signature element used by the artist to create visual depth behind flat geometric iconography.

The upper border features a checkerboard design (frequently representing corn or a horizon line) beneath stylized clouds and lightning bolts, symbolizing rain and moisture — the core tenets of Hopi spiritual prayers.

The painting is clearly hand-signed and dated in the lower-right corner of the orange field as T.T. HONVANTEWA 76.

The lower order depicts an aquatic or underworld scene with a stylized water creature wearing a tableta surrounded by tadpoles or seed germs swimming in a bright turquoise field, emphasizing fertility, water, and life.

About the Artist: Terrance Talaswaima (1939-1988)

Terrance Talaswaima, also known by his Hopi name Honvantewa (which translates to "Bear Making Tracks"), was a profoundly influential cultural figure from the village of Shungopavi on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. 

The Artist Hopid Movement

Honvantewa was a founding member of Artist Hopid, a revolutionary five-member collective established in May 1973 alongside other legendary artists like Michael Kabotie (Lomawyewesa) and Neil David Sr. The group's mission was to break away from traditional "Indian School" styles of painting and use modern aesthetic tools — like abstract geometry and expressive backgrounds — to interpret ancient Hopi symbols, murals, and pottery designs. 

Multifaceted Legacy: Beyond being a painter, Talaswaima was a true cultural keeper. He was a silver craftsman, a Katsina doll carver, a composer, a storyteller, and a museum director. He famously noted that his primary responsibility as an artist was to use his work to document every aspect of Hopi life and teach people the core values of Hopi traditions. 

This particular piece from 1976 captures the absolute prime era of the Artist Hopid collective, making it a stellar historical representation of mid-century contemporary Pueblo painting.

Condition: this Terrance Talaswaima (Honvantewa) Awatovi Rain Priest Painting is in very good condition

Provenance: Originally purchased from the Hopi Cultural Center Museum in 2014 and it had a Hopi  Arts & Crafts Guild tag attached. 

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

TAGS:  Hopi Reservation, Delbridge Honanie, Michael Kabotie, Neil David, Native American Painting, Delbridge Honanie, Milland Lomakema, Michael Kabotie, Neil David Sr., Terrance Talaswaima