Artist Daniel Begay is known for his distinctive polished and carved black pottery pieces, mixing imagery from both his Santa Clara Pueblo and Diné heritage. In his new body of work, on display for his solo show at King Galleries in Scottsdale, Arizona, Begay returns to a shape he once explored early in his career—the square.
Daniel Begay (Santa Clara/Diné), Finding a Way (back) and Separate Journeys (front), native clay, coil-built, traditionally fired.
“The square pieces from my earlier work do not have as sharp edges compared to today,” he explains. “I used to be super cautious to not make pieces with such sharp edges, because I didn’t want to risk cracks, crumbling or issues when polishing. As I’ve practiced more and more—and with a guidance from my father—my confidence in building with sharper edges increased. In a way, creating pieces in this style is something that’s been in the works for years.”
Begay notes that building and carving are the most crucial elements to this style, requiring almost twice as much patience—and time. “Round-shaped pieces allow for natural fluid physical movement. Square pieces require a lot of back and forth, measuring and adjusting,” says Begay. “While the pieces are never perfectly symmetrical, I spend a lot of time trying to bring balance to a square piece.”
Daniel Begay (Santa Clara/Diné), August, native clay, coil-built, traditionally fired.
The artist continues, “Since a square piece has four distinct sides, I have to choose between telling a story with those four sides or incorporating designs that wrap around the sharp edges. If it’s the latter, care and patience is crucial with cutting and carving the edges. Those areas, when carved, are sensitive. Too much pressure from carving or polishing could mean crumbling.”
Besides his precise yet skilled process, Begay also pays homage to his Native American heritage by incorporating narrative into his work. In show pieces like Finding a Way, Begay features his favored subject matter—the hummingbird. “Hummingbirds are such small creatures, yet they can easily capture our attention,” says Begay. “I wanted to tell a story of a hummingbird that exists in a world that can be busy, chaotic, even dangerous. It somewhat relates to the experience of Indigenous people living in urban environments. You’ll see designs that are primarily straight and sharp cornered, alluding to an urban environment.”
Daniel Begay (Santa Clara/Diné), Learning More About Each Other, native clay, coil-built, traditionally fired.
In a larger piece titled Overwatch, we see an eagle design shown spreading its wings and “displaying its powerful presence,” Begay remarks. “In the past three years, I’ve accepted the challenge of building larger pieces,” he continues to explain. “Since then, I’ve found a lot of comfort in creating water jar style pieces. [This piece] is a square take on that style. It’s large, but I didn’t want to be confined to the four surfaces when designing. Instead, I wanted to incorporate a design that wraps around the entire piece.”
Daniel Begay (Santa Clara/Diné), Overwatch, native clay, coil-built, traditionally fired.
For the show titled Clay Squared, opening April 11, Begay hopes that collectors can grow to appreciate this style of pottery, while honoring the time and patience of the process and craft. “One of the best parts of doing shows like this with King Galleries is the opportunity to share my artistic experience with collectors,” Begay adds. “The creation of square style pieces can be such a challenging process, but the reward comes from seeing the finished piece.”
King Galleries
Opens April 11, 2024
7077 E. Main Street, Suite 20,
Scottsdale, AZ 85251, (480) 481-0187,
www.kinggalleries.com
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