Spiritual Nurturing

Three round faces are divided into three quadrants each. Each of these stylized yei figures is supported by a tapering rectangle to represent the body. Background employs lively purples and reds.

(Born 1962) Willard Joe Maktima is a Hopi / Laguna artist residing in Flagstaff, Arizona and was born in Winslow, Arizona. He was educated at the Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, graduating in 1985.

He has departed from the traditional themes to create both dramatic and sometimes elegant statements in his paintings, drawings, original prints as well as jewelry. His drawings tend to be abstract emphasizing geometric patterns, designs of triangles, circles and squares on green, gray and blue on black paper. Maktima has also produced less structured monotypes. All of his work wears hints of his Indian culture.

Maktima received the "Most Promising Artist" award at the Indian Market in Santa Fe in 1985. His "MANA" was selected for the poster for the 1985 Festival of Native American Arts. In 1999 one of his paintings was chosen for the Santa Fe Indian Market posters. Art Talk cited the artist in its August/ September 1985 issue.