Gary Yazzie Untitled Pastel Painting of Native Woman [SOLD]

This original oil pastel was created by Diné artist Gary Yazzie.  It features a Native woman over a soft orange background.  She holds ears of corn and carries a parasol.  She wears traditional Diné clothing, moccasins and a concho belt.  Yazzie’s oil pastels—a favorite medium of his, according to his artist statement—work perfectly for this image.  Slight shifts in color create shadows and textural variation, forming an image that is rich in depth and color. 

We have not handled Gary Yazzie’s works in the past, but after viewing this charming and attractive image, we hope to find more.  His work here is gentle and attractive, and his chosen color palette is unique and appealing.

The image is signed G. Yazzie in the lower left.  It is framed under a wide fabric mat, with an interior band that matches the carved gold frame.

Gary D. Yazzie (1946- ) is a Diné painter who lives in New Mexico.  Yazzie was born in Phoenix, Arizona, to Diné parents.  He grew up in Arizona and New Mexico before moving to Oklahoma to study building construction at Oklahoma State Tech.  In 1977, he enrolled at the American Academy of Art in Chicago.  There, he studied oil painting and figure drawing.  He completed his education in 1980, and has been a working artist ever since.  According to his artist statement, he is a “representational painter with an emphasis on the horse and Southwestern subjects.”  He has exhibited widely and received many notable accolades for his work.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Gary Yazzie Untitled Pastel Painting of Native Woman is from the artist

Recommended Reading: Indian Painters of the Southwest - The Deep Remembering by Katherin L. Chase

Relative Links: Navajo Nation, Native American Paintings, Gary Yazzie, Diné Artist