Artist Bio
Dal’Suhu “Star” Not-Afraid is an Hopi artist from Walpi Village, and part of the Tobacco Clan. He also belongs to the people of the Crow, Dine’, Lakota, Zuni and Laguna Pueblo.
Not-Afraid identifies as a painter, Kachina carver, and musician but is also actively exploring materials and trying new techniques. The materials Not-Afraid works with the most are paint, graphite, paper, and organic materials. The organic materials used are cottonwood root, various woods, feathers, furs, leather, animal-hairs, moss, and shells, to name a few.
Not-Afraid has been a part of many art shows and has won a few rewards for his work. In 2017, he won 2nd Place in the Traditional Katsina Dolls category during the Hopi Festival of Arts and Culture located at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Az. His works are currently represented at Bahti Indian Arts located in Santa Fe, NM.
Artist Statement
The art I create is a window into not only my heart and soul, but also a small peek into my individual perspective. I was raised with the absolute truth of indigenous history; the atrocities, the deceit, the oppression, the erasure, and the continual discreditation of our contributions to this world. Because of this I create art that depicts, honors, and explores cultural traditions of my homeland of Hopi. I aim to reclaim that which has been taken and warped.
The power of our identities as Indigenous people is growing with each passing generation, and I now find myself in a position where it is now my turn to retain our heritage and knowledge of the natural world around us. My mission in life is to live and breathe my culture. Art has given me a way, since being 4 years old, to express the importance and urgency I feel preserve my language and culture. My goal deep down in my heart has always been to be the “realest Indian I can be.”
Resume/ CV
Dal’Suhu Not-Afraid
684 Jackrabbit Trail
Ohkay Owingeh, NM 87566
(505)692-0251
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts (pending), Institute of American Indian Arts, Studio Arts, Santa Fe, NM
Group Exhibitions
2024 IAIA Fall Art Rush, Baltzer Gallery IAIA, Santa Fe, NM
2024 AIHEC Student Art Competition, Minneapolis, MN
2023 AIHEC Art Competition, Baltzer Gallery IAIA, Santa Fe, NM
2023 Smithsonian Folk Art Festival “Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S.”, The Smithsonian, Washington DC
Employment
2024-Present Art Handler, Bahti Indian Arts Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Lectures, Workshops, and Panels
2024 Panelist, Pinion Talk, Institute of Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe, NM
Awards
2024 1st Place Contemporary Drawing, IAIA Fall Art Rush, Baltzer Gallery IAIA, Santa Fe, NM
2024 2nd Place Traditional-Dimensional, IAIA Fall Art Rush, Baltzer Gallery IAIA, Santa Fe, NM
2017 2nd Place Traditional Style Carvings, Hopi Festival of Arts and Culture, Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ
Current Gallery Representation
Bahti Indian Arts, 119 E Palace Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Contact us
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