Tony Abeyta

Contemporary Native American Art

Tony Abeyta is one of the most prominent contemporary native american artists, who is keen to have the culture of his people and their artwork recognized as the diverse thing that it is, and not the stereotype it has been assigned. Abeyta is a member of the Navajo, just one of the hundreds of diverse native american tribes. His artwork reflect Navajo beliefs and society.

I like the stylized imagery he uses in these particular paintings, especially with the masks and figures. He adds his own unique contemporary style to his work in order to make it more relatable to a modern day audience. This work would be at home in any traditional art gallery, but would still carry the unique messages and beliefs of the native americans with it.

It is this modernization of the traditional native american style that i want to achieve, and i think Abeyta does it particularly well. The geometric forms of the masks in his work are something i like, since the angular shapes look very modernized.

"Abeyta explores a variety of media including oils, charcoal and sand. Because he experiments with techniques and images so much, his creativity transcends any label that may be used to describe his work. Many of Abeyta's highly original works are depictions of complex Navajo beliefs; they evoke the notion that there is power in everyone and everything."

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