Amado Pena Ornaments & Votives

Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, Spider Rock, Enchanted Mesa, Acoma, Black Mesa - these are names that evoke an aura of mystery and hint at the birth of legends. These sites are part of an enduring, rugged landscape that speaks of the ancient heritage of a region now known as Arizona and New Mexico. This land, the people who live there and their native crafts, are the threads in a rich cultural tapestry that is the inspiration for the works of Amado M. Pena Jr.

Using the trilogy of imagery, Pena studies the interraltion and integration of these entities, giving each equal importance. Pena, a mestizo of Mexican and Yaqui ancestry, celebrates the strength of a people who meet the harsh realities of life in an uncompromising land and his work is a tribute to these Native Americans who survive by living in harmony with an adversarial, untamed environment. Using bol color, form and the dynamics of composition, Pena communicates his vision of a land, a people, and their art.  Pena is recognized as an Artisan of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona and is dedicated to furthering the public's knowledge and interest in the Tribe, its art, its history, and its culture. The drama of his paintings are translated into the art you see on these reverse painted ornaments.