Robert Yellowhair, Sr., Diné of the Navajo Nation Painter
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Robert Yellowhair (Diné, 1937-2016): A Master of Western Art
Born in 1937 in Arizona's Na-Ah-Tee Canyon, Robert Yellowhair, a full-blooded Diné (Navajo), discovered his passion for art early. As a young boy, while waiting for his father at the trading post, he transformed the side of a rusty old tin barn into his first canvas, filling it entirely with his sketches.
His artistic journey continued at the Carson Indian School in Nevada, where he was deeply captivated by the paintings of Charles Russell. Yellowhair dedicated hours to studying Russell's reproductions, and by 1955, he began painting seriously, driven by the ambition to emulate his idol.
Working primarily in oil on canvas, Yellowhair developed a distinctive style of realistic impressionism, at which he became exceptionally accomplished. He undeniably achieved his goal of honoring the artist who inspired him.
Robert Yellowhair passed away on July 25, 2016.