Untitled Painting of a Zia Pueblo Dancer [SOLD]

Rafael Medina (Teeyacheena) was born on September 10, 1929 at Zia Pueblo, New Mexico. He was educated at Zia Day School, Albuquerque Indian School, and Santa Fe Indian School; where he studied under Velino Shije Herrera, Jose Rey Toledo and Geronima Montoya.  Medina’s painting style was rooted in the traditional “flat” style, which began at San Ildefonso before being taught to Santa Fe Indian School students by Dorothy Dunn and her successors. His work was also influenced significantly by Navajo and Apache painters, as well as other non-Native artists.

Among the awards he earned during his career are: six awards from the annual American Indian Art Exhibition, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan; an award from the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market, Phoenix, Arizona (1969); an award from the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial, Gallup, New Mexico (1970); and an award from the Philbrook Art Center Annual Indian Art Exhibition, Tulsa, Oklahoma (1966).

Medina's work is included in numerous public collections, including: Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C.; Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, Arizona; Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Millicent Rogers Museum, Taos, New Mexico; and Philbrook Museum of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This untitled piece has characteristics of the traditional “flat” style.  Most notably traditional is its subject: a pueblo dancer, depicted in profile.  Medina’s dancer is fantastic—every small detail is included, rewarding the viewer with what is most likely a very realistic look at a Zia ceremonial function. His kilt and tableta, in particular, are crafted with incredible care.  The artist veered away from—or expanded upon, depending on how one chooses to see it—the traditional style in certain ways. The dancer’s surroundings are depicted in detail, with his shadow cast upon the wall behind him. A plant and a basket full of food are included also, casting their own shadows on the walls and floor of the room.  

The painting is signed within a Zia symbol in its lower left corner.

Condition: this Untitled Painting of a Zia Pueblo Dancer is in excellent condition

Provenance: From the collection of an Albuquerque resident

Recommended Reading: Southwest Indian Painting: a Changing Art by Clara Lee Tanner