Jeff Suina

Jeff Suina (Cochiti Pueblo) is a native american multimedia artist.  His aunts are Ada Suina and Snowflake Flower, as well as Martha Arqureo on his father’s side.  Jeff creates compelling forms out of clay with traditional and contemporary materials and methods. He has extensive experience in 3D modeling, design, and visualization. He draws his inspiration from various subjects: astronomy, quantum theory, philosophy, science fiction, architecture, J.R.R. Tolkien, and parametric design. Jeff has shown his work at shows such as The Santa Fe Indian Market, Native Treasures Art Market, and galleries in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and the United States. His work has found homes all over the world.

Jeff recently completed his artist residency with the Hand and Machine Lab at the University of New Mexico in the summer of 2023. This experience fundamentally changed him as an artist, and he considers this a turning point in his career and how his art will be presented. He also was awarded first place for his piece ‘Lion’ at the 2023 Santa Fe Indian Market.

Jeff grew up in Cochiti Pueblo and came from a long line of potters and painters. As a child, he started learning his craft by watching his mother create storytellers and nativity sets. His interests quickly shifted to astronomy and science fiction as the clear starry skies on the rez and Star Wars stoked his young imagination. It wasn’t until adulthood that he returned to working with clay and reviving the knowledge he learned decades earlier. He honed his abilities with traditional shapes but soon found his interstellar interests and 3D modeling skills emerging in his work. His pieces have been called architectural and futuristic and have received acclaim in the native american art world. His goals as an artist are to express his ideas, continue the legacy of his grandmothers, and pass on what he has learned to the next generation of native artists.