"Untitled", 2004 (#7285)
"Untitled" , 2004
Diane Schenandoah, Oneida
Clay and wood. Height 6 inches
The pot is a symbol of hospitality - a guest is welcomed into a home with food and drink. Diane was trained at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she received her degree in Fine Arts/3D and Creative Writing. She became aware that one of her greatest gifts from the Creator was her ability to fashion clay and carve bone and stones into images that reflect her culture. “Every sculpture must depict something meaningful from my culture and reflect spiritual realities of my people ... For my sculptures, I shape the clay from Mother Earth or I chisel natural elements such as stone, marble or bone. I often carve my sculptures from the bone of deer, buffalo or caribou. I enjoy combining several of these elements into one sculpture ... Working with Mother Earth gives me a certain closeness that goes beyond a particular art. It’s the grand feeling of knowing the ancestors before have passed throughout this clay. ... My goal as an artist is to reach out to all people everywhere and share the beauty of Indian life and culture – and to give them hope through my artwork”.