John Nieto, Mary from Acoma Pueblo, 1988, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 60 in.
LewAllen Galleries recently opened the exhibition of works by John Nieto entitled, Images of Ancestry. John Nieto (1936 – 2018) is a leading figure in American contemporary art, renowned for his paintings of Southwestern, Indigenous and contemporary subjects conveyed through his distinctive style of expressive color and bold strokes. Inspired by both his own heritage, a mix of Spanish and Native American (Mescalero Apache and Navajo), and his deep study of the history and culture throughout the Southwest, he painted a wide range of richly modulated images of Indigenous warriors, fancy dancers, chieftains, potters, weavers and other craftspeople, as well as portraits of contemporary and historical icons.