The Gravity of Hózhó, an exhibition of the recent work of Sheldon Harvey (Diné), will open June 9 at Altamira Fine Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Early Dawn in Spring, mixed media on three-dimensional wood panel, 30 x 40 in.
Harvey explains, “The Navajo word Hózhó means balance, harmony, beauty. The practice for all of us as human beings is living in harmony and balance, the practice that will carry us through.”
Gallery owner Jason Williams comments, “Sheldon Harvey’s work carries a rare duality, it is deeply rooted in ancestral narrative while pushing boldly into a contemporary visual language. In this upcoming exhibition, you see him expanding that dialogue through fractured geometry, layered textures and a sense of movement that feels almost architectural. His compositions don’t simply depict, they reconstruct. Figures, symbols and landscapes emerge and dissolve within the same space, echoing the idea that identity, memory and place are never fixed, but constantly evolving.”
Twin Paths, oil on canvas, 48 x 36 in
Between the Stars, oil on canvas, 48 x 40 in.
The extraordinary construction in Early Dawn in Spring, mixed media on three-dimensional wood panel, is a riotous homage to the colors of spring composed of many well-used brushes finding a new role after they became caked with dried paint. The panel reflects the colorful complexity of his Yei figures of wood, fabric, feathers, stains and paint.
When we spoke last year Harvey said, “I was always afraid of color. I didn’t know how to mix a color. I was looking for immediate results. In my 20s I learned to take it step by step. That transformed my way of thinking, having more patience and giving myself more time.”
Gravity Stroke, oil on canvas, 52 x 44 in.
Unique in his current exhibition is a painting with a much calmer surface and palette.
“In Twin Paths,” he explains, “I seek to capture the delicate balance between two realities—the physical and the spiritual—reminding the viewer that these are not separate journeys, but a singular existence. By calling them twin paths, I am suggesting that they are born of the same source and travel toward the same destination in a continuous, parallel rhythm…I chose a smooth palette to evoke the vast, fragile clarity of an egg-shell sky, creating a serene space where these two paths can unfold. Watching over this journey is the masked witness, positioned in the center of the painting to serve as the silent anchor between the earth and the ether.”
The show hangs through June 23. —
Altamira Fine Art
June 9-23, 2026
172 Center Street, Jackson Hole, WY 83001
(307) 739-4700, www.altamiraart.com
Powered by Froala Editor
