Jewelry expression

Zuni Pueblo-made necklace and inlay earring
Photo by Venaya Yazzie
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2017

Happy International Women's Day!

I am happy to have been born a female. Gender roles in my tribal cultural ways are very important. Much of what my desert people believe is rooted in the spiritual way of life - its an intangible way of belief and we have our roles as cultural people: male and female.

Much of what I am seeing in today's American culture seems to be working on 'blurring the lines' of what is male and female, but that is not the ways of my Navajo and Pueblo people. One concept of my culture that is outstanding though and that shares expression by both male and female individuals is that of southwest cultural adornment.

This image I share consists of a Zuni Pueblo-made necklace and inlay earrings. I love to wear this combination together. Both are primarily made up of shell product, that is mother-of-pearl shell.  I wore this today in recognition of the ways in which my desert matriarch 'adorn' themselves on a daily basis.

Blessings.

Neo NavaHopi Art

New art by Venaya Yazzie
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2017

The season of change from the cold of winter to the first green plant-life of coming spring has got me inspire- I can be found inside the splendor of my studio at most times.

Lately I have been amidst 'neo' imagery of the desert matriarch. Much of what I paint concerns the adornment ways of the desert people in their cultural attire, hairstyle and of course, our tribal indigenous adornment of turquoise.

I grew up with this fine blue stone in my daily life, as I am sure most of the southwest indigenous people have. I know many of us carry with us still, the family heirloom pieces passed to us through our matriarchs.  The turquoise stone is the heart of my desert life and belief, it has always been this way. I'm pretty confident that if you were to talk about turquoise to a Dine' or Pueblo Indigenous person you would be blessed to hear some grand, beautyful story of their prized jewelry piece.

I am currently amidst a mini collection of paintings. I have this one above to share, its a modern depiction of a Hopi maiden- she wears a manta, turquoise earrings and she is adorned with her tradition Hopi women's hair style.

I wish you blessings and much inspiration.

Manyhogans artist and her art

Venaya Yazzie: Manyhogans artist and her art
Photo courtesy of artist.2017
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Living or existing as an artist is always a "WIP", or 'work in progress.' I often see artists post this expression next to their art images posted on social media.

I was thinking on this an how it applies to my own life as an Indigenous artist in America. My modern experience and life as a southwestern desert  artist concerns my spirit- being in persistent 'Artway' motion. I think this existence has great parallel with that of my desert cultural way of being in the perpetual mindset of "hozho" or as some know it,  "beauyway." This expression is a Navajo way of being- its is directly derived from our Indigenous tongue, our sacred Navajo language.

I was raised to be an optimist. My grandmothers and aunties, and my plethora of cousin-sisters always lived lives with that 'hozho' presence. We are a female lineage of hopeful people. Its in our DNA, we have inherited from our desert ancestors, this beautyway of being is what makes us strong; it is from our matrilineal clanship that has blessed us. I, we are descendants from the Hooghanlani' people, or Manyhogans clan family. This clan has a rich, and complex 'sacred' origin.

As I was raised up by my maternal grandparents, I was instilled with the cultural knowledge that the Manyhogans clan family was, and are the ones who made their homes (Hooghans) in the immediate shadow of our emergence (sacred center mountain) of Dzilnaodithle, (Huerfano Peak). It is said that after we 'emerged' into this Fifth World (Glittering World) we wanted to protect the sacred space, so my ancestors made the homes close to it.  My clan family relatives live in this area to this day.

One of the many blessings or characteristics that were embued to us is that of being friendly, welcoming and being happy- always having a positive outlook on life. I see this to this day in my relatives, no matter our situation, we look for the goodness.

The other important gift of my ancestral lineage is that of the Creative life, skill to create objects of art. I see this too in the Manyhogans people- we are silversmiths, potters, weavers, poets, painters... I know I am blessed, for I am a desert person, born of Dine' and Hopi Pueblo lineage. What more could a girl ask for.

Its 'hozho' like that.

Blessings in all things

By Venaya J. Yazzie 2017
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Indi Ears Designs.

YazzGrl Art Earrings
Photo courtesy of artist Venaya Yazzie
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2017

I've been amidst much of the creative-way.

I feel so blessed to be so inspired in this moment. These are my newest earring designs from my Indi Ears Designs.

The concept of these earrings are rooted in the traditional southwestern materials that are commonly made by southwestern Indigenous tribal people, including the Pueblo and Navajo groups.

The base of these earrings are wood and have been 'adorned' or applied with mother-of-pearl shell, coral and turquoise.  I make these in homage to my desert ancestors.

You can find these at my Square store here:

                                                         Indi Ear Designs

Blessings

EarART Designs

EarART Designs by Venaya Yazzie

Photo YAZZGRL ART

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2017

This is a flashback photo from a trek to Antelope Canyon in western Navajoland.

These are my EarArt Designs earrings, which are inspired by my 2-D original paintings. These earrings are made on a wood base and are very light weight.  I haven't made this style of my earrings in awhile, but instead have changed the design.

When I used to sell these I would have people buy them just to be framed and to be displayed on their walls.

Blessings.

Everyday 'adorn'

When a modern Indigenous person wears their cultural/traditional jewelry items, they in essence are walking or existing in a sacred manner.

Ever since I was a young girl, I always seen my desert matriarchs 'adorn' in their silver and turquoise items which usually included bracelets, rings, and strung beads around their neck.  I carry this memory with me, it has soaked into the marrow of my desert bones - and for this I know I am a blessed being.

Today as a contemporary Indigenous woman, I make opportunities to be working within the area of the Arts and especially in the southwest cultural realm. And when I do so I make sure to wear my best items to not only represent myself, but also to honor and respect the ways of my ancestors.

Wearing turquoise or other southwest desert adornments is not a fad, it has never been for me. Adorning oneself with such items asks for great respect. I respect the items I have, I 'feed' them and talk to them. My cultural teaching are real and great meaning, and for this I have much reverence for them.

For the Dine', the turquoise stone is so much more that just a blue mineral. The stone is about healing, its about strength, its about protection of spirit. Turquoise has a big and beautiful, and a sacred story behind it. If you don't know this then I say, ask yourself if you should even be wearing it.

Bless.



Visualize

I've been amidst research concerning 'Indigenous Adornment,' but more specifically the early ways of Dine' (Navajo) adornment.  Recently I found a wonderful publication titled, Desert Mesa by A.W. Icke and it has the most brilliant description of Navajo 'adornment in the era of the 1930s.

Visualize.

...but their real dress consists of white cotton trousers, split or a few inches up the sides, a velvet blouse, often some bright hue, dull red moccasins with silver buttons, and a belt studded with silver disks, called conchos. Often turquoise earrings and necklaces are added, and if you look closely, you will see a tiny turquoise bead tied in the knot of hair, a very precious goodluck charm.

The publication written by a non-Indigenous woman gives a good description of her study of Dine' male attire. I adore this passage.

The more I read about 'adornment' the more I am inspired. I am feeling very good about my own manuscript in progress.

Blessings.

Inspired

Art by YazzgrlArt studio
Photo courtesy of Venaya Yazzie
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2017

In this winter season I have been so very inspired.

Lately, I've been working on some new mixed media pieces on various art paper varieties. These works are inspired by my desert matriarchs, and too by the new generation of Indigenous women leaders in Native America, aka. 'Indin country.'

I am very pleased with the new imagery and content of my new works of 2017, and therefore am looking forward to the plethora of upcoming art shows and exhibitions this year.