Zuni Ceremony

The Kachinas Return Home

The Zuni believe that kachinas, or spirit beings, live in the Lake of the Dead, a mythical location which can be reached through Listening Spring Lake (a real place located at the junction of the Zuni and Little Colorado Rivers). Kachinas hold the wisdom of ancestors and have the power to bring rain, make crops bountiful and to cure illnesses. They interact with people through sacred dance rituals.

ARTIST NOTES:

The Kachinas assume the form of fish when they are traveling.

MATERIAL NOTES:

The metal used as the substrate for the attached characters in the lower half of the composition was cut from old aluminum newspaper press sheets.

Dimensions: 30in x 21.5in

Media: Acrylic on masonite, metal sculptures affixed to frame.

Year: 2000