Artist Biographies
Unless otherwise noted, all carvers are from the Zuni tribe.
At the age of 13, Alan Lasiloo became a novice fetish carver, a renowned art form that dates to pre-history.
The self-taught art took form through experimentation, critiqued and honed by family. Alan is inspired by the art and culture of the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greek, Aztec, Mayan, Incas and his own Zuni culture. His appreciation for other cultures helps his art evolve to his own ...
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Alan Lewis of Zuni Pueblo was born in Winslow, Arizona to the late Robert E. and Virginia Lewis. His parents were silversmiths and his mother also did beadwork. He is the youngest child.
Alan began carving in the mid 1980's, starting off with materials such as alabaster, jet, and marble. He made animal fetishes and small sculptures, often inlaying heartlines on his animal carvings using various...
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Bobbie is pictured here with her husband, Gibbs Othole and their granddaughter Brennan....
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My father is Zuni, of the Bear Clan and my mother is Diné, of the Water Clan. I am fifth generation of silversmiths on both sides of my family. As a child I was surrounded by the art of silversmithing. I spent many hours in the workshops of my Parent, Uncles, Aunts and many other family members watching them and eventually helping them with their craft. We children were often responsible for c...
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Brian comes from a family of jewelry artisans. His mother, Janta Yatsattie, was known for her petit-point jewelry. Starting out as a painter, Brian began carving in 1989 because "it looked like fun." In 1992 he moved to San Felipe Pueblo and is now teaching others the art of fetish carving. Keshi is honored to offer Brian's carvings, as he is one of the most creative and talented people we kno...
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Carlos learned pottery making from his step-grandmother, Daisy Hooee, by observing and listening to his grandmother and what she had to say about pottery making. It was the same way with his aunt Jennie Laate. Carlos has been making pottery since 1989, and his technique continues to improve. His design elements cover all the traditional motifs: deer house, rosettes, rainbirds, lines, curves, and g...
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Charles is pictured here with his wife Rosalie, also an exceptional Zuni artisan....
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Charles is pictured with Lynelle Besselente....
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My name is Colin Coonsis. I am an established silversmith with 10 years of experience. I am three-fourths Zuni and one-quarter Navajo. I am currently 24 years old, and pursuing a degree in business administration. I have also served four years in the United States Navy.
I specialize in making contemporary Native American jewelry. My work is mostly influenced by Zuni designs and traditional ...
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Daisy is photographed here on one of her trips into Santa Fe without husband LaVies....
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A lot of gratitude and thanks goes out to Keshi and all the staff. Their contribution to the art world makes a huge difference for Zuni artists.
Elah-kwa. I, foremost, enjoy art and am proud to be blessed with the many talents I have. Fetish carving is a passion and helps me to heal in many ways. I never realized how important it has become in my life. Thank you to all the people who collec...
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"Eileen Yatsattie, a member of the Zuni Pueblo Tribe in western New Mexico, began to make pottery in 1973 at the age of thirteen. She has experimented extensively with traditional materials, dyes, and techniques. Eileen collects and processes her own natural clays, pigments, and plants, which she learned from a Zuni elder potter, Mrs. Josephine Nahohai. Eileen has also gained knowledge and guida...
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Video games got Eric into jewelry making. As the young son of noted jeweler Jolene Eustace, Eric was told, "If you want to buy video games, you have to make your own money!" So at eight years of age, he began to learn the art.
Although he has employed several techniques, Eric has made most of his recent pieces using his own distinctive application of the ancient Japanese process of mokume-gane ...
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Influenced by his cousins, Reynold and Ronnie Lunasee, Fabian started carving gypsum and serpentine bears in 1985. His intuitive sense in material selection is the first step in creating a carving. The shape and color composition of the stone is his next consideration. His respect for Zuni carvers of this generation inspires his creativity and instills the integrity in the art of fetish carving....
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Faye Quandelacy, a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, is known throughout the country and abroad for her small fetishes and fetish necklaces.
Of special interest to Faye is the sculptural depiction of the three stages of womanhood: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Wise Elder.
For more information on Faye, please go to "keshi in the press" to access the following arti...
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Gibbs is pictured here with his wife, Bobbie Othole and their granddaughter Brennan....
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Artist’s Statement
I am Shiwi (Zuni) born into the Badger Clan and Child of the Corn Clan. I am an aspiring photographer, graphic illustrator, silversmith, and mentor.
My life as a silversmith is challenging because I am experimenting with traditional techniques of brazing, forging, and lapidary to create two-dimensional wearable adornments. My inspirations are Rene Lalique, Edward ...
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Written by Hayes for his very first one-man show held at Keshi circa 1999:
When I was growing up in Zuni, I Hayes never thought I would go into making any type of creative art. Although, fetish carving has been around for many years, I never thought I’d be making it this far with my work.
I come from a family with fetish carvers. My grandfather was a well known fetish carver,...
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For more information on Jayne, please go to "keshi in the press" to access the following article: "Sacred Power."...
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Jeff Shetima was born into a family of accomplished Zuni jewelers some forty years ago. He began working as a silversmith at an early age and soon developed a reputation for his fine lapidary work. Jeff began carving fetishes about fifteen years ago, incorporating his fantastic lapidary skills. He is now the only Zuni carver creating fetishes which display "micro-inlay". Unfortunately, this demand...
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Sharing our Keshi "Jolene" story: Jolene is (obviously) quite a beautiful woman, and the staff of Keshi commonly referred to her as "the jewelry goddess." One day, someone fessed up and told Jolene what she'd been nicknamed, and her reply was "I'm not the jewelry goddess, I MAKE jewelry FOR goddesses!" That response certainly endeared her to us even more!
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For more information on Lena, please go to "keshi in the press" to access the following article: "Carved in Stone."...
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Lynelle is pictured with Charles Martinez, Jr....
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Mary Coriz Lovato, daughter of Santiago Leo Coriz, was born to the Corn Clan. Besides raising five sons to become accomplished silversmiths, Mary finds time to turn out some of the finest Indian jewelry found today. Mary's forte is inlaid shell earrings and pendants, a blend of the contemporary and the traditional.
Her work has become the standard by which shell inlaid jewelry is measured. Sliv...
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Mike was born in 1973 and is originally from Zuni, New Mexico. He is a proud member of the Zuni tribe. Through the encouragement of his uncles, Terry and Kent Banteah, Mike has chosen to pursue his career in fetish carving. He started as an apprentice for his uncles in the early 1990's and has been carving ever since....
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Ocatvius and Irma Sewotewa have been making jewelry since 1970. Eash learned from their respective parents. The couple has incorporated some elements of their parents' styles and designs. Octavius is one of ten children of the famed Zuni painter and historian Alex Seowtewa and his wife Odell. Octavius and Irma have recieved numerous awards for their work, such as first place at the New Mexico ...
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Twenty-six year old Raymond began as an apprentice for Troy Sice, well-known fetish carver and sculptor, in 2004. With the encouragement of his mentor, Ray took a hands-on approach, learning step-by-step how to carve large and small pieces from elk antler and various stones.
Over his still-young career, Raymond has challenged himself with increasingly difficult projects as he creates his own st...
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For more information on Ricky, please go to "keshi in the press" to access the following article: "Carved in Stone."...
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For more information on Ron, please go to "keshi in the press" to access the following article: "Carved in Stone."...
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For information on Salvador, please go to "keshi in the press" to access the following articles: "Salvador Romero" and "A Charmed Life."...
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Sarah is shown here with her latest traditional leaf necklace. 5/07...
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Scott is pictured here with his youngest son, J.R....
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Having grown up in the art community of Zuni Pueblo, Silvester has been surrounded by art all his life. He says, "By the age of five or six, you'd find me in a corner painting, drawing, or making sculpture. I dabbled in everything from sculpture to jewelry." He won a youth division award from the Heard Museum when he was only nine. The Museum then bought the award-winning doll scene Silvester had ...
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Hello, my name is Terry Alan Wilson. I am Dine (Navajo) and my clan is Zuni Edgewater and Born for Honeycomb Rock People. I have been a carpenter for 8 years. I’ve studied wildlife ecology, wildlife photography and Tae Kwon Do.
I am self-taught; I started with cottonwood through experimentation. I went on to work with stone. My inspirations are netsuke, Da Vinci, Picasso, the Cheama brother...
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Tim is shown here with his daughter, Tawny Marie....
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Todd learned the art of fetish carving mostly on his own. A relative made a small bear for him to use as a “guide,” and then he “took it from there.” His knowledge of rocks came from some geology classes he took as a geological engineering student. Todd won first place at the 1994 American Indian and Western Relic Show in Pasadena, California. He has won many awards at the Zuni Show of the Muse...
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Fetish carver Troy Sice reaches back to a prehistoric Zuni Pueblo tradition in the use of antler and different stone mediums for creating animal and human forms. He is a third-generation carver, the grandson of George H. CheeChee, nephew of Ramie and Miguel Haloo and half-brother of Colvin Peina.
His grandfather is known for his bird fetish necklaces and bird-in-flight pendants since the 1930'...
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For more information on Verla, please go to "keshi in the press" to access the following article: "A Fetish for Carving."...
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Wilson is pictured here holding his grandson Mushash ("buffalo") in July of 2006.
For more information on Wilson, please go to "keshi in the press" to access the following article: "A Charmed Life."...
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