Suina, Jeff – “Obsidian” Tall Jar, Ribbon
$ 4,000.00
Jeff Suina works in clay and multi-media. Each piece is made from clay and painted with mineral clays for the design. This is one of his creative sculptural pieces. The jar is slab-built to create the flat sides. The piece is entitled “Obsidian”. The sharp edges create the flow of the jar. The contrasting positive and negative spaces are visually striking to the eye. The piece is signed, “Jeff Suina”. The piece has a second place ribbon from the 2026 Gallup Ceremonials.
“Obsidian was inspired by the volcanic glass formed by rapidly cooling lava. I wanted to honor not just how it’s used in our culture here, but how it’s beneficial and and useful in many cultures across the world. It is in it’s way a protector, but it’s also dangerous and something that must be respected and acknowledged.
Jeff Suina
Out of stock
Jeff Suina works in clay and multi-media. Each piece is made from clay and painted with mineral clays for the design. This is one of his creative sculptural pieces. The jar is slab-built to create the flat sides. The piece is entitled “River”. Jeff said about this piece:
“River features many jutting edges and patterns that are inspired by negative space design. The extruded polygons are proud and soaring, and feature glazing in colors based on the cardinal directions. River gets its name from the Rio Grande, and the undulating waves and currents of its waters that seem to flow sideways and backward at times. The people of Cochiti rely on the wisdom of the River to teach them that, although they sometimes flow in different directions, the water’s direction will always remind them to establish themselves in one direction on the straight road of life.”
The piece is painted with mountains, clouds, and geometric designs. The designs flow across the surface of the various angles and shapes. The contrasting positive and negative spaces are visually striking to the eye. The piece is signed, “Jeff Suina”.
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Suina, Jeff
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.