This series of drawings and acrylic paintings by local Diné (Navajo) artist Ahiddibah Tsinnie explores themes of cultural resilience, ancestral presence, and the enduring strength of Diné women. The body of work is presented in two complementary forms: drawings on paper and vibrant acrylic paintings on canvas.
The drawings reflect the artist’s desire to bring forward the presence of ancestors who have been obscured by time. These portraits serve as a visual resurrection—figures who stand with dignity and pride, reinserted into contemporary visibility. Each drawing carries a personal and spiritual weight, as if the ancestors themselves are whispering their stories from the page. For the artist, these works are not only portraits but relatives, brought into the present as a way of keeping them alive.
In contrast, the acrylic paintings depict scenes from the daily life of Diné women, rendered in bold and expressive color. The works celebrate cultural traditions that continue today—what some may consider old-fashioned, but which remain vital and practiced, especially by grandmothers who sustain and pass on cultural knowledge.
Through these paintings, the artist honors the strength, grace, and beauty of Navajo women and the central role they play in Diné society, which is both matrilineal and matriarchal. The women portrayed embody bikeh hozho—a Navajo philosophy of living in balance, beauty, and harmony.
Together, these works form a deeply personal and cultural expression—a visual affirmation that Native life and identity are not vanishing, but vibrant, evolving, and very much alive.
On exhibit at Spring Valley Library from October 21, 2025 through January 4, 2026
Gallery reception Tuesday, October 21, 2025 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Tuesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Thursday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Sunday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
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