Matriarchland. Indigenous Adornment.Happiness & Beauty All Around. Be Matriarch.

Created as an homage to my desert ancestors, I focus on the historical significance of Indigenous southwestern tribal adornment culture and the perpetuation of those adornment practices perpetuated into the 21st century. In honor of my Navajo & Hopi Pueblo People & my ancestral matriarchs, and male relatives who adorned themselves with elements of the earth. Be Matriarch. Hózhó Nashá- Beauty all Around. Venaya Yazzie

Friday, September 12, 2014

Navajo male cultural adornment

Photo by Venaya Yazzie

Love this photo!
I took this pic of my Navajo Arts Enterprises Calendar, which showcases a Navajo man in full cultural jewelry adornment.

Art by Navajo women painter Beverly Blacksheep

Original art by Beverly Blacksheep
Photo by Venaya Yazzie
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

During Labor Day weekend the Totah Indian Arts Festival takes place in the bordertown of Farmington, New Mexico. Its a great time when Indigenous artists, mostly Navajo, come together to showcase and share their original art works.

I was a participant in this show, and so was Navajo painter Beverly Blacksheep from Arizona. I love her work as man of her pieces depict Navajo cultural adornment of both men and women. She does a great job in showing the detailed garments and jewelry pieces in her art.

Happily I was able to do a trade with her at this show. This painting is the item I traded for my own art. Its a beautiful piece I treasure much.

EarART Designs by Venaya Yazzie

EarART Designs by Venaya Yazzie
Photo by Venaya Yazzie
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

These earring adornments are my newest from my EarART Designs collection. This line was debut in August at the inaugural Indigenous Fine Arts Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This pair was sold during this event.

Made on a base of Balsa wood the earrings were designed by me. Each earring was hand-painted using acrylic paints and finished with an acrylic glaze to protect the art.

Look out for more new designs to come!

Earring Adornments from Santo Domingo

Photo by Venaya Yazzie
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Beautiful ear adornments from Santo Domingot Pueblo in New Mexico.

Navajo Fair season and turquoise adornment.

My Navajo/ Pueblo cultural Indigenous jewelry is a vital part of my identity. Turquoise and silver jewelry adornment items such as earrings and rings, are how I choose to perpetuate my Indigenous way of life and existence.

This season is the season of Indigenous Adornment for many on the reservations of the southwest. In September the Navajo Nation began its ceremonial participation in the annual tribal fairs across the reservations in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

I was able to kick off the celebrations last weekend in Window Rock, Arizona last weekend. I was delighted to see much cultural Navajo adornment being practiced by a mix of people including tiny babies to beautiful Navajo elders, all dressed in their finest Navajo garb and turquoise and silver jewelry adornments.

The life of a Navajo person concerns cultural adornment, it is what has been talked to us through our Navajo oral history.

Granmother's hands are my strength.

strength.
may masaani's beauty-ful hands full of wisdom.
she is jane werito yazzie.
we are a family rooted at huerfano, nm.
eastern navajo land.