Charlie Willeto, born Nageezi, Navajo Reservation (Dineteh), NM 1906-died Nageezi, Navajo Reserva Search this
Medium:
carved and painted wood
Dimensions:
66 1/4 x 16 1/2 x 10 1/4 in. (168.3 x 42.0 x 26.1 cm.)
Type:
Sculpture
Folk Art
Date:
ca. 1962-1964
Gallery Label:
Charlie Willeto was born in Diné Bikéyah, the homeland of the Diné, or Navajo, and was trained as a tribal healer or medicine man. His carvings were all done in the last few years of his life. They began as elements of a healing ritual, which used doll-like carvings to carry illness away from the afflicted. By making his figures, Willeto challenged a tribal taboo against figural representation in art, but he eventually earned his reputation as a powerful healer and bringer of change. This pair is Willeto’s sole example of life-sized figures; most of his carvings are under thirty inches tall.
