David K. John absorbed the spiritual tradition of the Diné from his great grandfather who was a medicine man. It was more than a teaching/learning experience. Although he received formal education at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Brigham Young University and Southern Utah University, it was what he heard and saw with his great-grandfather that informed him and animates his life and art.
Ganado Red, acrylic, 28 x 22"
Yei Figure Wall Sculpture, mixed media, 25 x 4"
“My creations on paper or canvas do not come from a place of preconception,” he says. “They come from the innermost chamber of my soul. The essence of what I am is a spiritual being. I am a Diné (Navajo) man of the Tl’a’a’shchi’I’ clan and born for the Kiiya’’aannii clan. Even as I write it, it feels like I am saying a prayer.”
He explains, “I want to save the culture and pass it on to the new generation. I try to do this through my paintings.”
Yei Figure Wall Sculpture (with hoop), mixed media, 20 x 7"
The Dancing Rabbit Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is holding an online exhibition of his paintings and wall sculptures through April 30.
John’s paintings often depict masked dancers representing the Holy People who created the earth and human beings whom they taught to live in harmony with all creation. They also taught the people to perform ceremonies to maintain the balance.
September Wind, acrylic, 16 x 20"
His wall pieces represent Yei figures, messengers and mediators between the gods and people. It is forbidden to exactly represent the figures, so John modifies them in his work. The pieces also contain symbols like the spiral signifying emergence, crosses signifying the four directions or vertical lines with two intersecting horizontal lines signifying the dragonfly a symbol of life-giving water. In many of the wall sculptures, the abstracted image of a cornstalk figures prominently, symbolizing sustenance, a gift from the Great Spirit. '
The Dancing Rabbit Gallery
Through April 30, 2021
Santa Fe, NM, (505) 850-2212,
www.thedancingrabbitgallery.com
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