Tesuque Pueblo Stone Lithograph “Kachari” by Patrick Swazo Hinds

Koshare: The Sacred Clowns of Pueblo Culture

The figure depicted by Patrick Swazo Hinds is a revered character in Pueblo culture, known as a Koshare, Kachari, or Kossa across various Pueblos. These figures, while referred to as clowns, are not the typical jesters we envision. They are sacred clowns, custodians of tradition, and conveyors of village customs. Their primary role is to entertain, but their humor often challenges norms that fall outside the Pueblo way of life.

Swazo Hinds, adopted by an Anglo man at the tender age of nine, spent his initial years in California. His adoptive father, recognizing his innate artistic talent, ensured he received formal art education. Swazo Hinds (1929-1974) painted in California until 1964 when he began exploring the art of his indigenous culture. From then on, he gained recognition and respect as a prominent artist of Indian art, arguably the finest to emerge from Tesuque Pueblo. In 1972, he ventured into lithography, a medium he quickly mastered. He continued this art form for two more years until his untimely demise in 1974 at age 45.

During his career, Swazo Hinds produced a series of stone lithographs at the Tamarind Institute of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. The piece in discussion is one such work, numbered 12 out of an edition of 75, executed in 1974 using brown ink on buff Arches Cover paper. This set of four lithographs was initially printed on a single sheet of paper, which was later torn apart to separate them, resulting in deckled edges. The printmaker for this project was Ben Q. Adams. These four lithographs were the final works Swazo Hinds produced at Tamarind before his premature death at the age of 45.

Condition: This image is in original excellent condition.

Provenance: this Tesuque Pueblo Stone Lithograph "Kachari" by Patrick Swazo Hinds is from the collection of a resident of Santa Fe

Recommended Reading: ART AND INDIAN INDIVIDUALISTS by Guy and Doris Monthan

TAGS: Tesuque Pueblo, paintings, Patrick Swazo Hinds