Neil
David Sr.
Wolf
Kachina
8
3/4" H with 3/4" base
"Whenever
the Deer or Antelope Kachinas dance in the plaza, another kachina
is very frequently seen with them - the Wolf Kachina (Kweo).
He is their side dancer, and the stick he holds in his hands
is said to represent trees and bushes that he hides behind as
he watches them.
"When he appears,
the Deer and the Antelope are wary because in real life he is
the hunter of antelope. After the dance it is customary for the
Hopis to offer the Wolf Kachina cornmeal or prayer feathers so
that he will use his knowledge to find and capture these game
animals.
"For some
reason the kachina calls forth the Hopi urge to elaborate. He
is not usually [very] colorful nor realistic and is consequently
more forceful in appearance."
- Barton Wright, Kachinas:
a Hopi Artist's Documentary (164)
Born in 1944 on
First Mesa in the village of Hano, Arizona, Neil David Sr. -
a Hopi/Tewa - was carving kachina dolls before he was ten years
old.
During his high
school years his paintings and sketches were sold through Byron
Hunter who managed McGee's store in Polacca, Arizona.
Neil's paintings
and kachina carvings can be found in private collections and
museums throughout the world. The set of 79 original paintings
by Neil, published in his book: Kachinas: Spirit Beings of
the Hopi, have been acquired by the Kashiwagi Museum in Tateshina,
Nagano, Japan.
Neil entered the
army and served in Germany during the Vietnam War. He resides
in Polacca, Arizona on the Hopi Indian Reservation and continues
to paint and carve. He sells his paintings and kachina dolls
through art galleries and direct comissions from collectors.
Neil's artistic
talents and creativity have brought him international recognition.
His humor is conveyed through the expressions and antics of his
Clown figures. His dedication and commitment to his heritage
is seen in his paintings and carvings.
Neil's co-mingling
of art and dedication to his culture gives a rare opportunity
to view elements of Hopi life without intruding on the society.
His insight, perception, and ability to capture on canvas, the
personalities and actions of performers and spectators during
the Hopi festivities have brought him wide acclaim and support
for calling him "the Hopis' Norman Rockwell."
Neil's work is
featured in over a dozen books and periodicals including Art
of the Hopi by Jerry Jacka, Treasures of the Hopi
by Theda Bassman, and Art of Kachina Doll Carving by
E. Bromberg.
