Weaver, Textile Artist
Ramona Lynn Sakiestewa was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico to a Hopi father and a mother of Irish-English-German descent. She attended Verde Valley School in Sedona, Arizona, and Santa Fe Prep, Santa Fe, New Mexico. As her interest in weaving grew, Ramona taught herself to weave through reading books and from the assistance of acquaintances who were kind enough to share their expertise.
In 1970, she married Arthur Sze, a poet and creative writing instructor at the Institute of American Indian Arts. A son, Micah F.H. Sakiestewa Sze was born in 1979. She married again in 1998 to Andrew F. Merriell, an architect and exhibit designer.
In her early works, Sakiestewa researched native plant dyes and reproduced cochineal-which is derived from a tiny, cactus-dwelling insect that produces a vibrant red pigment. Harvested by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years, the dye is widely used in textiles, hand spun yarn, and is also a food dye. Her earliest weavings were simple banded floor rugs which embodied the classic Pueblo style, but with the contemporary flair that became the hallmark of Ramona Sakiestewa's works.
Sakiestewa also uses indigo---a dark, purplish blue dye from the indigo plant; and through trial and error, she mastered techniques for dyeing yarn. Ramona also adopted the traditional upright continuous warp weaving methods and applied them to horizontal floor loom weaving. Subjects that capture the essence of Sakiestewa's renderings include landscapes of the Southwest, ceremony, and ritual objects.
After mastering her craft, Ramona began showing and marketing her works at the Santa Fe Indian Market, in the 50 x 70 inch tapestry size which she prefers for her largely abstract images. "It is the style that comes most naturally to me," she states.
In 1981, Sakiestewa opened her own full-time weaving studio-Ramona Sakiestewa Ltd.-where she offered one-of-a-kind tapestries. Her works are also inspired by images from the Hubble Space Telescope's energy and bursts of light which are also reflected in her works. In 2009, however, Sakiestewa closed her weaving studio and is now even further known for her works-on-paper, public art, and architectural installations.
Venues that exhibit Sakiestewa's works include the National Museum of American History, Washington, DC; the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe; University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA.
Ann Lane Hedlund, who served as program chair for the Biennial Symposium of the Textile Society of America, has said that Sakiestewa's works "shatter old barriers separating weaving, painting and mixed media."
Sources:
Artnet + webpage
Poetry International webpage
School of Anthropology, Ann Lane Hedlund webpage
Wikipedia
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