Now open at Adobe Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a major new exhibition, Ancestral Symbols, Modern Masterpieces: Documenting the Sacred Narratives and History of the Hopi People. The gallery calls it one of the most monumental exhibitions in its 50-year history. It opened in May and continues through September 1.
Milland Lomakema (Hopi, 1941-2021), Faces of Whippers, gouache, 28½ x 38 ½ in
“At the heart of this exhibit is the revolutionary work of the Artist Hopid, a movement founded in 1973 by visionary artists including Michael Kabotie, Terrance Talaswaima and Neil David Sr.,” the gallery notes. “Other members of this elite group of painters were Delbridge Honanie, Tyler Polelonema, Bevins Yuyaheova and the featured artist of this collection, Milland Lomakema. Prior to this movement, the outside art market often restricted Native American painting to the ‘Bambi Style’—a flat, purely decorative aesthetic. Artist Hopid shattered these boundaries, utilizing visual arts as a sophisticated tool to document Hopi history, ritual and the complex realities of their culture. The resulting works represent a seamless, powerful bridge between ancient Puebloan tradition and mid-century modernism.”
Milland Lomakema (Hopi, 1941-2021), Untitled (Three Katsinas), acrylic, 14½ x 11 in.
The exhibition shines a spotlight on the works of Lomakema, a self-taught artist whose works are characterized by a distinctive palette of terracotta, ochre and sage. One of the works available is Faces of Whippers. “This profound work offers a rare glimpse into a pivotal Hopi ritual: the ceremonial initiation of children within the kiva,” the gallery explains. “Through masterful gouache application, Lomakema depicts Crow Mother and the Hu Katsinas (the whippers) as they deliver symbolic lessons of discipline and spiritual growth to the next generation.” —
Adobe Gallery
Through September 1, 2026
221 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 955-0550, www.adobegallery.com
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