Paul Sewemaenewa
Awatovi Soyok
Wuhti
10 1/2"
total height
"The Awatovi Ogre Woman
is exactly like Soyok Wuhti except that she is believed to have
come from the destroyed pueblo of Awatovi. Formerly she appeared
more frequently on First Mesa. "
"She behaves as Soyok
Wuhti does when she stands by the side of the kachina who is
speaking, scraping her saw on the building and reaching for unwary
spectators or children. Usually this individual has a mat of
wool for the hair on the mask, surmounted by a red feather."
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (75)
The obviously unique features
of this piece are the detailed aspects of the base. Paul always
does a fascinating job with his larger, detailed bases. Here
you can see a Soyok Wuhti of the Second Mesa form ascending from
what looks like a "firey furnace."
Paul hails from Third Mesa
- the village of Hotevilla. He is a young carver at only 34 years
old, but has been carving since he was only 7 years old. Born
in Ganado, Arizona - he is of the Roadrunner and Greasewood clans
of Hopi.
He credits his uncles with
teaching him the kachina carving art. His favorite designs include
animals, morning kachinas, and maiden kachinas.
"This is a talent that
I have been fortunate to be taught by my uncles when I was very
young. Doll carving was a way to support myself with things that
I wanted when I was a child all the way to my adult life. This
has always been a means of supporting my family and myself.
"I enjoy carving because
every piece I create has a little piece of myself in it. Each
piece of cottonwood has a specific art form in it. When I start
carving the kachina, working within the wood, it will come right
out and show itself, but if I try to go against what is within
the wood, it takes longer and things don't usually work out the
way you want.
"I enjoy teaching my
carving talent to people who are serious about learning and who
are willing to make something out of being able to learn. My
carvings mean a lot to me. I don't make them just to make them.
I always think about how my carvings are and where they live
and how they are being taken care of.
"I am very grateful to
my uncles Bill & Willard Sewemaenewa for always pushing and
encouraging me to learn this art."
- taken from Paul's own autobiographical
statement
