Mixed Media Painting--A Winter Silence [SOLD]

The image on this canvas is that of a Navajo *Yei.  The Yei are the Supernatural Beings of the Diné.  They may be presented in male or female form.  This mask is that of a male.  When this painting was executed in the mid-1990s, Tony Abeyta was strongly into and influenced by Navajo religion—painting Yei figures, sandpainting imagery, and other Diné religious subjects.

This painting is titled A Winter Silence and was completed in 1995.  It is a mixed media painting of oil paints and sand on canvas.  It is signed in lower left and dated in lower right.  The artist added the title, medium, date and his signature on the back of the canvas. At the time of this painting, Tony Abeyta lived in Taos, New Mexico, and added that information on the back of the canvas, too.

The face of the Yei has a corn plant prominently displayed as the focal point, an item which identifies which Yei figure this represents. A full array of colorful feathers surrounds the top and sides of the mask.  Feathers on the mask and the area around the neck of the Yei have raised ribs providing a three-dimensional effect.

The painting is framed with a linen mat surrounded by a blonde wood frame.  It is a beautiful, well executed and colorful painting.

Condition: original condition

Provenance: from the estate of a former collector from New York

Recommended Reading:  100 Artists of the Southwest by Douglas Bullis

*What is a Yei? Yei figures are sacred to Navajo people (Diné), as they allow communication between humans and their gods.  Also note that when we say Diné (as opposed to Navaho or Navajo), we are referring to the people and not the government.  Since 1969, their government refers to itself as the Navajo Nation.