Newsletter Archive – Poleyestewa
Traditional Hopi Kachina Carver in the Old Style
Poleyestewa is a highly regarded Hopi Katsina (Kachina) carver from Third Mesa, specifically the village of Hotevilla, Arizona. He learned the traditional art of carving from his father as a young boy and continues to work strictly in the historic style of the early 1800s.
Unlike many contemporary carvers who emphasize exaggerated motion and intricate detail, Poleyestewa creates figures with arms held close to the body, carefully considered adornment, and expressive, accurately rendered masks. He carves exclusively from cottonwood root and paints with natural pigments he prepares himself—using materials such as copper, chokecherry berries, jet, and coal ash—then finishes the dolls with feathers, angora, goat hair, and deerskin. His feather work is especially noted for its quality.
Although he studied communications and broadcast journalism (including time at a Bureau of Indian Affairs school in Oklahoma and Arizona State University) and briefly worked in radio, he ultimately returned to carving, which he approaches with deep spiritual respect. He forms a personal connection with each figure, regarding them as teaching tools rooted in Hopi tradition.His work is collected widely and has been held by notable individuals and institutions. Poleyestewa remains one of the foremost practitioners of authentic old-style Hopi Kachina carving. When asked if he has a favorite, the very animated answer was…
“No! They are all deserving a blue ribbon. They are each first place. There is no second place!”
Poleyestewa Newsletters
New Arrivals: POLEYESTEWA
New Arrivals
POLEYESTEWA
Polyestewa tells the stories of Hopi history through his charming and delightful dolls. Much like the man himself, they are filled with light and uplifting to behold. He speaks to us from a place in time when the art form was a central aspect of Hopi culture that we can all learn from today. Come and answer the call of Hopi history as interpreted by Master Kachina Carver, Poleyestewa.
Visit Chimayo Trading in Ranchos de Taos or online at chimayotrading.com to see all of these new arrrivals and many more of Poleyestewa’s unique and charming kachina’s we have on display.
POLEYESTEWA: New Arrivals
Poleyestewa
New Arrivals
Poleyestewa’s kachina dolls are crafted in the traditional style, reminiscent of those made in the early 1800s. Unlike modern kachina carvings that often feature exaggerated motion and intricate detailing, his work emphasizes simplicity and authenticity, with arms tucked close to the body and carefully considered adornments. Each doll is carved from the root of the cottonwood tree, a material of spiritual significance to the Hopi due to its deep-reaching roots, symbolizing the search for water in the arid Arizona landscape.
New Arrivals
~New Arrivals~
Poleyestewa delivered on his promise to bring us a new collection of bird kachinas he’s been working on for months. This long awaited collection contains kachinas Poleyestewa has never made and we’ve never seen before. Now on display now at Chimayo Trading and available online at chimayotrading.com.
Kachina Stories as Told by Poleyestewa
Kachina Stories as Told by Poleyestewa
Poleyestewa is one of those enigmatic figures you might imagine in a movie. He is hard to pin down, appearing and disappearing at will. He has a deep understanding of Hopi history and when the time is right, he appears with his warm smiling face and brings his latest collection of dolls along with their history, backstory and meaning to Chimayo Trading.
Hopi Kachina Dolls: The Magic, The Meaning And The Mystery Part2
Hopi Kachina Dolls: The Magic, The Meaning And The Mystery
Chimayo Trading has just received many new kachinas from Chester Poleyestewa including some new, larger kachinas.
Poleyestewa is the well known Hopi carver who is inspired to continue the life of some of the rarer kachina identities.
The Dolls, Dances and Songs Of Hopi
The Dolls, Dances and Songs Of Hopi
Hopi Kachina Dolls: The Magic, The Meaning And The Mystery
Hopi Kachina Dolls: The Magic, The Meaning And The Mystery
Kachina Carver Poleyestewa
Kachina Carver
Poleyestewa
Poleyestewa in the Press
Kachina carver Poleyestewa at Chimayo Trading – Originally published in the Taos News, Metro Section
Originally published in Taos News, Metro Section >>
Kachina carver Poleyestewa at Chimayo Trading
by Tamra Testerman | June 1, 2022
Kachina carver Poleyestewa is a spiritually-guided artist and renaissance man who learned to carve Kachinas from his father. He is a traditionalist, soft-spoken and humble, with a veneration for the hallowed nature of his work, which is steeped in tradition.