GUEST ARTISTS SERIES
JUNE 12 & 13
Tim Yazzie, Jewelry
Tim Yazzie, The Native Silver Son, was raised in beautiful San Felipe Pueblo, New Mexico; The Land of Enchantment.
He grew up surrounded by art, with his maternal Grandmother making beautiful pueblo pottery, and his paternal Grandfather a rug weaver and silversmith.
As a young boy, he was taught in the ways of Native life in the Pueblo. His maternal Grandfather was a deeply spiritual man who was very knowledgeable in the history, religion, and the traditions of Pueblo life. From him, Tim learned many valuable things about who he is, and in-depth knowledge of life and the world around him.
Tim has a deep and profound connection with the ceremonial dances that take place in the Pueblo. Dancing, and the individual spiritual experiences he has had, have helped him shape his life, and still influence the ideas that he puts into his work.
In his youth, Tim realized his love for art and recognized that he had the ability to create the things he could see in his mind's eye. He was able to draw detailed designs and pictures of the things around him. Even today he draws all of his designs, free-hand, directly on the silver, and allows the silver and other materials to guide his creative process and develop the ideas that he has in his heart and mind.
Already well-known for his overlay designs, Tim eventually began adding inlay work and hand-cut stones to his overlay. He designs and handmakes pieces that include overlaid cutout designs and figures, cabochons mounted in handmade bezels, flat and flush inlaid stones, and cobblestone inlay with multiple varieties and sizes of stone. All of his materials are natural, and he hand-cuts and shapes his own stones.
You can easily see the influence of his Grandmother in his work, as Tim uses Pueblo pottery designs to tell stories in many of his pieces. When he adds his fine inlay and stonework, his pieces are extraordinarily unique and beautiful, and always one-of-a-kind.
Being based in Tucson, AZ has allowed Tim to pursue his skills as an artist with a new passion. Using the finest materials, he is now creating new designs, each unique and beautiful, pushing his Native Pueblo art to new horizons!
Native American Art has a great and noble legacy. Tim is hopeful that through his handmade creations and mentorship of others, he will add something meaningful to the future of that legacy.
Influenced by and spiritually connected to his family and Pueblo ways of life, and a true creator of beauty, Tim Yazzie is the Native Silver Son!