Stetson Setalla comes from
a long line of Hopi potters. His family includes Agnes Navasie
(grandmother), Eunice Navasie (aunt), Agnes Nahsonhoya, and Dee
Setalla (siblings).
He has been an active potter
since 1980 and has been featured in many major works on Hopi
pottery. Stetson consistently shows at major competitions and
venues throughout the Southwest. His work is also featured at
the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona; and the Museum of Indian
Arts & Cultures in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
From Stetson's autobiographical
statement: "As I work on my pots, I clear my mind of all
bad thoughts by concentrating and praying to my clay.
"Good thoughts and a
good heart are essential in working with your clay because you
are creating yourself in each pot as you coil and when you are
ready to paint the pot, a clear mind and good heart is crucial
in assisting you with your painting because the designs flow
through your mind into your hand and onto your pot without difficulty."
This piece features the changing
colors of Autumn's falling leaves, along with a series of dragonflies.
As with all of Stetson's pieces, this low-shoulder pot has great
balance and symmetry, resting on a foot only an inch in diameter.
As always, he has signed with
his trademark bear-claw/raincloud symbol representing both his
mother and father's clans.
