Arlo Namingha was born March 4, 1973, in Santa Fe, New Mexico and raised in San Juan Pueblo. The eldest son of Dan Namingha, his artistic heritage traces back several generations to the famous Hopi potter Nampeyo, who reestablished the art of Hopi pottery. Nampeyo’s grand-daughter Dextra Nampeyo introduced a new, more modern pottery style that retains Hopi traditions. In the same vein Arlo continues to experiment with new images and materials while staying true to his native Hopi heritage. He learned art at an early age, spending time in his father’s studio. His primary interest was in creating three dimensional objects and he later went on to study drafting and design. Until he was about 13, he spent summers with his grandparents at the Hopi village of Hano where he learned to fashion Kachina dolls (carved and painted figures that represent the spirit messengers who act as intermediaries between the Hopis and the spirit world). His original figurative sculptures were a continuance of Kachina design although not subject matter. Later, he began to simplify and stylize the sculptures, letting his unique sensibility emerge. Dance is such a work, a portrait of the shapes but not the features of his wife Nicole.
Namingha began receiving sculpture commissions when he was in his twenties and his works in wood, clay, stone and fabricated and cast bronze have been included in exhibitions throughout the United States. In 2001, he received a commission to be part of the Horse Power New Mexico art project of painted ponies. Among his other commissions is one from the New Mexico Community Foundation that annually awards a Namingha sculpture to a deserving individual. In 2003,the Montclair Art Museum in New Jersey acquired two of his pieces. Numerous other collections include his work; among them are the U.S. Embassies in Uzbekistan, Phnom Penh, and Chisinau, the Palm Springs Desert Museum in California, and the Autry National Center of the American West in Los Angeles. Arlo Namingha’s work has been shown in such prestigious exhibitions as Traditions and Visions: American Indian Art at the Muckenthaler Art Museum, Fullerton, California; Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation at the American Craft Museum in New York City; and Elemental Forms: the Art of Dan and Arlo Namingha organized by the Meridian International Center in collaboration with the National Art Museums in China in Beijing, Urumqi, Xian and Shanghai. Works by Arlo Namingha currently on view in the sculpture park: Dance, 2004
bronze edition of 6
77" x 21 1/2" x 20" |
