Codex Taawa by Gerald Dawavendewa

Description

Codex Taawa is a series of illustrations inspired by ancient imagery that explore the cosmos of the Hopi. Each artwork highlights a part of the Hopi tradition, stories or knowledge. The original artworks are black and copper ink on handmade Nepalese paper. This series is inspired by the Codices of Mesoamericans. These accordion-folded manuscripts were often elaborately illustrated with characters or symbolic writing. Only twelve of these pieces are known to have survived.

Gerald grew up on Hopi and with Cherokee relatives in the woods of Oklahoma. He remembers the star-filled night skies at Hopi and that Oklahoma had no starry skies. The stars, planets, meteors, the Milky Way and the moon light up the sky at Hopi. In 1994, in partnership with NASA and the University of Arizona, Gerald was asked to create artwork depicting the Hopi cosmos. This artwork was sent into space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Through is artwork, Gerald hopes to share his cultures, educate the public about the rich heritage of native nations, and promotion a greater understanding of the indigenous world.Call for wholesale pricing.