Tony Abeyta Untitled Portrait of Navajo Yei Figure [SOLD]

This painting was created by Diné of the Navajo Nation artist Tony Abeyta. The piece dates to the 1990s, when Abeyta's work focused mostly on Diné religious symbology and sandpainting imagery. Many works from this period depict the benevolent spirit beings known as Yei figures. For this piece, Abeyta focused his eye on a single Yei, which allowed him to create an intricately detailed, richly textured depiction.

The Navajo Yei's square mask appears just below the center of the image. Thin horizontal slits form the eyes, which seem to stare just past those of the viewer. A rounded feathered headdress appears, with a taller central section rising to the painting's upper edge. Abeyta selected a remarkably sophisticated color palette for this piece, making use of a range of gorgeous red tones along with tan, cream, blue, and green. The colors used for this image could be described as darker or understated in comparison to others we've seen from the same period. His paints were enhanced with sand, which invigorates the image by enriching the texture and adding a subtle sparkle throughout. There is much to explore here for the viewer who chooses to give the piece a close look, and we highly recommend doing so-Abeyta's skillful manipulations of paint and sand give the image incredible depth. This is a particularly strong example of Tony Abeyta's 1990s work.

The painting is signed Tony Abeyta in upper right. The canvas is gallery-wrapped around a wood frame and ready to hang.

Diné artist Tony Abeyta (b. 1965) is one of the most prominent contemporary Native American painters. Abeyta was educated at Santa Fe's Institute of American Indian Arts, the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, and overseas in Italy and Southern France. Abeyta described his creative motivations thusly: "I want my work to reinforce the ideology of Indian religion, its strength, its beauty and semblance. I work to create an interpretation of these deities translated through myself and given an identity devoid of their actual documented existence. I'm more interested in an icon or the idea, which these beings represent. This system of ritual belief is the most important basis in Indian culture and ensures its infinite existence." Abeyta's father was Diné painter Narciso Platero Abeyta (1918-1998) Ha So De.

What is gallery wrap? The canvas is stretched over wooden stretchers which are usually 1-1/4 inches or thicker. The canvas is folded and tucked around the sides and is stapled or attached on the back. This leaves the side of the canvas smooth and without any nails or staples to detract from the visual effect. Artists would even extend the painting around the sides. The art is then displayed without a frame. Neither gallery wrap nor traditional stretched canvas is better than the other. Some artists and collectors prefer the way the art looks framed, and others prefer an unframed look.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Tony Abeyta Untitled Portrait of Navajo Yei Figure is from a private New Mexico collection

Recommended Reading: Abeyta | To'Hajiilee K'é  This book is about the current exhibit at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe. It chronicles the important Navajo family of artists, a father, son, and two daughters: Narciso Abeyta (1918-1998), Pablita Abeyta (1953-2017), Elizabeth Abeyta (1955-2006) Nah-Glee-eh-Bah, and Tony Abeyta (b. 1965). The catalog-book is available at the Wheelwright Museum.

Relative Links: Diné - Navajo Nation, Native American Fine Art, Narciso Platero Abeyta, blankets, prehistoric, Kachinas, jewelry, painting, Tony Abeyta, Elizabeth Abeyta