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Fred Cleveland
Navajo
A member of the Bitter Water and Kayonnie clans of the Navajo, Fred Cleveland says he was born at “one of the first Indian hospitals – a Hogan”. Raised in the rugged high desert mountains near Ganado, Arizona, his family raised sheep, where Fred was exposed to the arts as a young boy watching his mother weave rugs and his father create images in the curative process of traditional Navajo sand paintings. For as long as he can remember, Fred as been a painter, and largely self-taught, although he spent valued learning time crafting the basics of his “Native American Western” style at The American Academy of the Arts in Chicago.
Fred says of his personal style that he is hesitant to characterize himself or his work, but it does contain elements of Navajo traditionalism, realism, and his undying love of the his native southwest. He trusts in the rich earth tones that characterize his work, and the portrayal of classic scenes of the Native American life. Above all, Fred seeks to express through his paintings something about his own life, his own past, and the heritage and experiences of the Navajo people.
Unlike his father’s sand paintings, which are created only for a brief moment for the viewer and then destroyed, Fred, in the Navajo way, captures his unique visions and shares them for posterity. Fred says he is “compelled to leave a record, to leave some encouragement for the human race as a legacy for the children of the world”.
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