Dena Suina
San Felipe / Cochiti
Turtle Storyteller
5 1/4"
L x 3" W
Dena Suina was born in 1961
into the San Felipe Pueblo. Dena married into the pueblo of Cochiti
in the 1980’s. She sparked an interest in sculpting clay
figures while observing her mother-in-law, Louise Suina, hand
coil and hand paint her beautiful clay sculptures. Louise taught
Dena all the fundamentals of how to hand coil all types of sculptures
using traditional methods.
Dena has been working with
clay art since 1991. Dena specializes in handmade and hand painted
contemporary storytellers. Dena’s unique style of storytellers
is of a traditional Cochiti storyteller, but with crisp detailed
lines, very small children and exquisite painting. Her sculptures
are all hand coiled, hand pinched, and hand painted.
She makes a wide variety of
sizes and adds very intricate detail to her clay sculptures.
Dena has established herself as a fine artisan and continues
to amaze collectors with her intricate efforts. She signs her
pottery as: Dena M. Suina, Cochiti/San Felipe Pueblo, N.M.
Awards:
-1999 Santa Fe Indian Market 1st Place
-1999 New Mexico State Fair 4th Place
-Gallup Ceremonial 2nd place
-New Mexico State Fair 1st, 2nd and 3rd in various years
Publications:
-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies
-Southwestern Pottery Anasazi to Zuni
-Storytellers and Other Figurative Pottery
