David Dalasohya Jr. is a Contemporary Hopi/Laguna Pueblo artist living near Pyramid Lake, Nevada. He takes what he sees in his own culture and life and expresses his feelings on canvas. By using colors, landscapes, and Hopi images, he gives the viewer a closer look into his world that is slowly being forgotten.
Born in 1981, and from the city of Anaheim Ca., David was never far from his original home in Hopiland, Northern Arizona. David graduated from Katella High School in 1999, not knowing what to do, David thought about becoming an artist. He attended Fullerton Junior College for one year and began to notice his talent for the arts. David continued his education and graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM, where he received a Bachelor in Fine arts degree.
Family, culture, and the joys of life is what keeps David going. By being able to see katsina dances from his village at Hotevilla and Bacavi, he is able to paint an image and express what is important in life. From his grandparent’s teachings, he is aware of beauty and happiness in all living things. This is a way of life that makes him happy and will continue to express this happiness through his artwork for years to come.
Painting Katsina’s and nature not only satisfies David, but other people too. “People need to understand that times are tough, but what I paint shows other people that these times of drastic change can also be happy and peaceful. Nature is alive and how we live can bring peace and harmony. I paint what comes from my heart, it can only come from within me,” says the artist.