Artist Update

My name is Romaine Begay, Ro.  I am Towering House born into the Zuni clan.  This is a formal Navajo greeting. My business is called Nizhoni Pottery, where I create a combination of traditional and contemporary pottery. Nizhoni is a Navajo word meaning beautiful, fine, and good, all in one depending on the accent used. My connection with art has been throughout my life.  Early on as a child my cousin and I would have drawing competitions to see who the better artist was. Good ol’ WNMU, in Silver City New Mexico was where I went to college. Not a lot of people can say that they play in the mud all day long for a living.  I have my father to thank for encouraging me to better myself with a college education and the ceramics program at WNMU for keeping me in college and earning a degree.  I earned a Bachelor of Science in Fine Art with an emphasis in ceramics. 

 

*Please feel free to use my functional work in the microwave, dishwasher and oven. My work is also lead free, so please enjoy.*

 

 

 

What's New

 

Ok, so once again summer is up on my heels and the new work is slowly coming along. First of all I would like to thank those of you who have taken an interest in my work, thanks to you all I am able to create my ideas in clay.

Next I wanted to let you all know that this past May I took part in a week long workshop with the master potter, Tom Coleman. I was lucky enough to walk away from that workshop with some new inspirations and some great new techniques. Mr. Coleman was a pretty interesting fellow and his work speaks for itself. So please keep an eye out for the peices that are inspired from this workshop, but with my own twist at the up coming Santa Fe Indian Market.

Yes, I am lucky enough to be participating in the Santa Fe Indian Market again this year. My booth number is going to be 814LIN so stop on by and say "Howdy!", and for those of you who like my work you well also enjoy the works of Ryan Singer, Bahe Whitehorn, Pilar and Calvin Lavato so check them out in the Santa Fe Indian Market as well.

Again thank you all for the interest in my work I look forward to meeting you all sometime soon. Until next time .

 

 

 

Inspirations

 

My grandmother Lydia Mason, on my father’s side is a very strong woman in all ways.  She is in her late eighties now.  Up until last year she was still herding sheep on her trusty ol’horse.  She was the one who gave me my real name.  My Navajo name.  Many of the designs I use are the same ones she uses in her rug designs.  These are traditional Navajo designs, which have importance and meaning to each one.

     My grandfather Jim Mason, on my father’s side is a great man.  The one thing I really miss about being home is hearing his stories.  He told me stories of the Navajo people, like the creation of the Dine`, coyote and many other animals.  My favorite stories of his are of First Man and First Woman, the twin monster killers and of Turquoise Boy. Both my grandmother and grandfather have strong influences within my work.

 

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