David K. John (Born 1963) Navajo, Mixed Media Yei Mask Wall Sculpture

Lot description

David K. John (born 1963) Navajo, Mixed Media Yei Mask Wall Sculpture. Incorporates feathers, sticks, paint and clay to create one of his iconic ethereal Navajo figures. Size: 12 1/2 x 6 1/4 x 1 in. #5343 . David K. John was born in Keams Canyon, Arizona in 1963 and raised by his great grandfather, a Navajo Diné medicine man. He grew up hearing stories and teachings of his homeland and his people, and although he was surrounded by relatives who were involved in the production of arts and crafts he did not have the chance to express his creativity until he was in high school, developing a desire to express his heritage through art. He attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he obtained his Associates in 1986. He spent one semester at Brigham Young University before transferring to Southern Utah University to complete his Bachelors in 1991. Throughout this period he mastered his own distinctive style, submitting to local festivals and competitions, and when he graduated he quickly found representation at the James Ratliff Gallery in Sedona and Kiva Fine Arts in Santa Fe. After his work was chosen in 1990 to use as a poster promoting the US Census Bureau he gained national recognition, and since the early 1990s he has consistently won numerous awards each year for his paintings and masks at the Intertribal Ceremonial in Gallup and the Santa Fe Indian Market. One of his most common subjects is the Yei Be Chei, an ethereal messenger to the Dine, which he modifies somewhat to avoid his tribal taboos against exact replication. Since the 2000s he has taught his own children how to paint, as well as the lessons of their heritage, and his vibrant canvases and bas relief sculptures can be found in countless public and private collections, such as the Eiteljorg Museum and Arizona State Museum.