BERDINE BEGAY (NAVAJO)

Berdine Begay is a fourth-generation Navajo weaver. With 17 years under her belt, she learned weaving from her sister D.Y. Begay. “The designs and colors I incorporate into my tapestries are inspired by the enchanting land of my birthplace in Tselani, Arizona,” she says. The colors and the plateau formations of the landscape are often incorporated into the imagery of her weavings. She weaves on a traditional vertical Navajo loom, and describes, “The process that I practice involves shearing the family sheep, washing, sorting and carding the fleece for spinning. Recently I started dyeing with plants to achieve natural colors for my designs.” At Indian Market, she will show off a current tapestry on the loom.