About the Artist

(Navajo jeweler, born circa 1950) The son of Chee Yazzie and Elsie Benally Yazzie, Lee Yazzie learned to make jewelry from his parents and at the Wingate Vocational School.  His clan is Folding Arms.

Winner of Best of Show at the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallup, New Mexico in 1975, Lee Yazzie also won the School of American Research Award, Best Traditional Design in Jewelry, 1st in 1977 and two 2nd prizes at Indian Market in Santa Fe.

The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC proudly includes his jewelry in their collection.

Yazzie is profiled by Diana Pardue in the September 2003 issue of Native Peoples magazine.  Books covering contemporary American Indian pottery include Yazzie's work by Lois Dubin, Cirillo, Bassman.  Seven examples of Yazzie's jewelry are illustrated in full color in Gregory Schaaf's book American Indian Jewelry III: M-Z.

Yazzie's early work was signed with an electric engraver, "LY".  Later in his career he stamped his work "Lee Yazzie".