Raymond Naha, Zuni Celebration Painting(27 1/2 x 21)

Tewa artist Raymond Naha painted incredible scenes of First American life. His sister Shirley Benn talks about how her brother would paint her figures that she turned into her amazing pieces of inlay art. This is a family filled with many great artists and a fascinating history. His mother, Daisy Hooee was a granddaughter of the famous Tewa potter Nampeyo and at one time was married to Leo Poblano and is said to have done much of his inlay work. Like Shirley, Raymond spent a lot of time in Zuni because of their mothers marriage to Leo Poblano. This watercolor shows the beginning of a ceremonial celebration at the foot of the sacred Zuni Mountains. When you see old photographs of Zuni dances they are many times on this dirt landscape, which looks very different today.