THE QUIET GIANT
IN NAVAJO ACRYLICS
by Tim Auer,
Santa Fe Circle Magazine

The more this gentle man speaks, the more intrigue is created. His unassuming presence is punctuated by flashes of inspiration that let  you know he has defined his artistic direction. His art and his life are inseparable. His Native American roots, and his experiences growing up in Northern Arizona with his eight siblings all contribute to who he is. Al and his family settled in Shonto, Arizona where he studied at the Indian School and stood out among his peers.

Following his service in the Marines, Al's talent prompted tribal elders to award him a scholarship while he attended the Art Institute in Santa Fe. His style was already mature, but credentials do help a career. Studies at Northern Arizona University prepared Al even further. 

Today Al has returned to his roots and paints eight to ten hours a day in his studion in Shonto, Arizona. In 2002 his work won Best of Division and Judges' Choice Award at the prestigious Heard Museum Annual Native American Art Show and Sale. He is a content human being, alone with the land, his family, and his art. His trademark Navajo Yeii figures, often wrapped in blankets, continue to be his first artistic love and his most consistent theme. There is a story behing wrapping the Yeii. Tribal elders consider showing the world exact images of the traditional dress and body paint somewhat sacreligious. Therefore, the use of the blanket covering sensitive details made the work more palatable to the elders.

Enjoy the traditional, mystical, and artistically excellent work of Al Bahe at the Art Exchange Gallery, in the Santa Fe Arcade on the Plaze at 60 E. San Francisco street, Suite, 213 & 214. Gallery hours are 10:30-6:30 Monday through Saturday and 12:00-5:00 on Sunday. 

	"Beautiful Earth Mother"  -Acrylic on canvas  26"x18"  $3400
	"Amoung The Ancestors"  -Acrylic on canvas  24"x18"  $3200
	"Sacred Ground"  -Acrylic on canvas  21"x18"  $3200
	"All is Beautiful"  -Acrylic on canvas  26"x18"  $3400
	"With Honor"  -Acrylic on canvas  36"x24"
	"Crow Mother"  -Acrylic on Canvas  60"x40"
	"Sacred Dance"  -Acrylic on Canvas  57"x36"
	"Prized Possessions"  -Acrylic on Canvas  60"x40"    Giclee Prints available    on paper or canvas.