Karen Kahe Charley is the
daughter of the legendary potter Marcella Kahe, who is her inspiration
and teacher. She has been making pottery since 1980.Her work
incorporates very traditional Hopi-Tewi designs and although
she lives in Keams Canyon, she returns to her mother’s home
on first mesa for inspiration to paint and fire her pottery.
Karen is well known for her
classic water vessels and canteens but also experiments with
older designs on more common shapes such as typical seed pots
and jars.
Her awards are numerous –
from Best of Show at both the Museum of Northern Arizona and
Santa Fe Indian Market to the Fred Kabotie Award. She is in all
the major books recently published on Hopi pottery and has had
exhibitions at both Harvard and Yale Universities. Karen’s
works which is on display at the both prestigious Heard and Northern
Arizona Museums is very limited and collectible.
