Navajo weaving is my personal outlet of creative expression, an endeavor to preserve family tradition and a connection to those who have taught me. I divide my time between weaving, exhibiting work and documenting the weaving process for educational purposes. I weave Navajo textiles in both traditional and contemporary designs. Many of my pieces range from wall hangings to handbags and home accessories.
I am inspired by vivid color combinations and how they interact with various Navajo weaving styles and techniques. I weave with natural and commercial dyed fibers spun from sheep and goat hair. All of my textiles are woven by hand on a vertical standing loom and on a warp I strung up by hand. Some textiles may take 10 to over 200 weaving hours to complete and designs are not sketched before weaving begins. This is, for me, creativity being woven in the moment.
I was born and raised on the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona. My mother and grandmothers were my first teachers. My mother showed me how to warp a loom, create a heddle and weave in wool. My grandmothers showed me how to take care of the sheep and goats, and process their hair into yarn. My paternal grandmother, Susie Yazzie, was renowned for her pictorial rugs and demonstrated daily for tourists, photographers or filmmakers from around the world.