Ancestral Symbols, Modern Masterpieces: Documenting the Sacred Narratives and History of the Hopi People

A Midissage Reception: August 7th 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Curator's Talk with Otillia Engle: 5:00 pm

Marking a half-century of stewardship in the arts, Adobe Gallery is proud to celebrate its 50th Anniversary with a landmark exhibition.  This midissage reception explores the profound spiritual and historical narratives of the Hopi people through a masterfully curated selection of paintings by the revolutionary collective, Artist Hopid. This exhibit features forty artworks by the Hopi artists; including Lomawywesa (Michael Kabotie), Honvantewa (Terrance Talaswaima), Dawakema (Milland Lomakema), Coochsiwukioma (Delbridge Honanie), Duyauestewa (Tyler Polelonema), and Neil David Sr.—this movement fundamentally redefined the trajectory of modern Hopi art, bridging the gap between ancient iconography and contemporary expression.

Beyond the Studio Style

In the mid-20th century, Native American painting was often restricted by the expectations of the "Flatstyle" — a flat, decorative aesthetic favored by the outside market. Artist Hopid broke these boundaries, choosing instead to use visual arts as a powerful tool for documenting Hopi history and the complex realities of their culture. Their work represents a seamless bridge between ancient tradition and modernism.

Featured Highlight: Milland Lomakema (1941-2021)

A self-taught master and key figure in this movement, Lomakema's work is characterized by a sophisticated palette of terracotta, ochre, and sage. His paintings are not merely art; they are ethnographic records.

A centerpiece of the exhibit is Lomakema's 1977 masterpiece, "Faces of Whippers." This work provides a rare glimpse into a pivotal Hopi ritual: the ceremonial initiation of children within the kiva. Through his gouache application, Lomakema depicts Crow Mother and the Hu Katsinas (the whippers) as they bring symbolic lessons of discipline and spiritual growth to the next generation.

The Language of Symbols

Every element in these paintings carries weight:

• Star-Like Elements: Representing corn tassels or spiritual radiance.

• Vertical Red Lines: Signifying life-giving moisture and rain descending to the earth.Rock & Mesa Formations: Symbolize the life-essence of the earth, village shrines, historical endurance, and the physical anchor of Hopi heritage.

• Rain Clouds & Lightning: Jagged lines and compact cloud forms that represent summer storms, power, speed, and the vital gift of water for dryland farming.

• Water Gourds & Nets: Net-encased gourds held by priests symbolize preserved sacred water, ritual purity, and prayers for rain blessings.

• Katsina Masks & Tablitas: Reference sacred ceremonial cycles, dance, and spiritual intercession between humans and the divine.

• Corn: Represents the "staff of life," continuity, and spiritual nourishment.

• Beans, Squash, and Tobacco: Represent agriculture, ceremonial offerings, and communal strength.

• Circular Borders & Interlocking Circles: Represent the unity, ceremonial kinship among clans/societies, and the eternal cycle of the Hopi world without beginning or end.

• Vertical Red Lines: Signify life-giving moisture, rain descending to nourish the earth, and prayers for fertility.

Provenance and Significance

These works come to us from the private collections of long-time Adobe Gallery clients, many with a provenance tracing back to seminal texts such as "Hopi Painting: The World of the Hopis" by Janis Broder.

We invite you to continue to view masterworks like these, which reside in permanent collections from the Heard Museum to the Smithsonian, and experience the enduring pulse of Hopi life.

Reference: Edna Glenn, John R. Wunder, Willard Hughes Rollings, and Artist Hopid members. Hopi Nation: Essays on Indigenous Art, Culture, History and Law, Lulu Press, University of Nebraska, 2008

TAGS: Michael Kabotie, Delbridge Honanie, Neil David, Sr., Terrance Talaswiama, Milland Lomakema, Tyler Polelonema, Bevins Yuyaheova, Hopi Pueblo, Native American Paintings

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