About the Artist - Daniel Moya
Perched high on a hill in the middle of Pojoaque Pueblo just north of Santa Fe is the home and studio of Tewa artist, Daniel Moya. Sheltered from the rumblings of the world and surrounded by a maze of stone walls and terraced gardens as well as by the steady presence of his family, he spends his days and nights dreaming up and creating a series of highly original works or art. Given the depth of his vision and his technical proficiency, it is all but certain that he and his work are destined to play a vital role in the indigenous arts renaissance currently taking place in the Southwest.
By combining powerful symbolism drawn from the natural world with bold and harmonious geometric shapes, radiant color and a meticulousness and daring of execution, he conveys in an utterly poetic manner, the abiding cultural and spiritual values held dear to his people as well as his own personal understanding and appreciation for life.
So immersed and committed is Daniel to the artistic exploration and interpretation of his cultural legacy in a medium totally of his own making, he was awarded a 2009 Artist Fellowship by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) which is presented to just five promising Native American artists annually. Not surprisingly, in 2007, the first year he showed at the Santa Fe Indian Market and then again in 2008, he received awards in the Diverse Arts category.
Born in Pojoaque Pueblo and raised in the multicultural world of northern New Mexico, it was natural for Daniel to gravitate toward the arts and to listen to the multitude of voices surrounding him. Foremost among them was that of his grandmother Felicia Tapia-Viarrial who taught him the arts and his grandfather Fermin Viarrial who taught him about horticulture and human culture.
Later came the voices of his university art instructors, of other Pueblo and non-Pueblo Indian artists, and of artists whom he met and studied with on his travels and residencies throughout Latin America, Asia and Europe. Those from Mexico, Russia and China were among the most persuasive and have continued to inform his work. Since dedicating himself full time to his creations, it has been his own inner voice, however, and those of all the generations of Tewa Indian people who have preceded him that he now listens to the most and upon which he depends for guidance, inspiration and direction.
Daniel studied fine arts, art history & anthropology at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M. His work is to be found in numerous private collections, museums and other institutions.
Daniel invites you to visit him and his work at this years Santa Fe Indian Market. You can also link in and learn more about him and his work on his Facebook page.