Biyaazhí Nishlí
Hat
Painted the same year that I was born, the piece behind “Biyaazhí Nishlí” and other works were foundational to my upbringing. There was a creativity that was modeled by my late father in our home growing up that set the standard. No matter what, us as humans were creative in everything that we did. This painting hung in our home along side pottery made by other family members that planted the seed to my eventual career path as an artist. Since my father’s passing in 2020, I continue to learn the impact he had on others. His network stretched over a continent. One that is sewn together with offerings of corn pollen and the prayers that accompanied it. He loved people dearly. And through his gestures and the articulation in his voice, people were able to comprehend it. The stories that others have shared about his impact on them continue to paint the picture of the type of person he was. Whether it was his exercise of our Navajo Kinship system, or the ways he fulfilled a fatherly love for people that were in dire need of it, his impact was profound. It only felt appropriate not only to honor his legacy through his design, but also share it with the HOSH catalog.
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Fourth-generation Diné (Navajo) potter Jarod Tso (b. 1994) bridges tradition and innovation as a ceramic artist. Born in Logan, Utah, Jared grew up in Spokane, Washington, and later moved to Nahah'tah Dziil, Arizona. He learned traditional pottery techniques from his grandmother’s work, the renowned Diné potter Fay Tso. His late father, Darrell Tso, a multi-disciplinary artist, remains his greatest inspiration. Though initially pursuing electrical engineering, pottery called to Jared instinctively. He returned to earn his MFA in Ceramics from the University of New Mexico in 2021. His mastery of traditional hand-coiling, burnishing, and pit-firing techniques, combined with contemporary approaches, has earned him significant recognition. Recent honors include the 2022 Tony Da Innovation Award at Santa Fe Indian Market, "Best of Pottery" at the 2023 Heard Market, and selection as one of Dwell magazine's "24 Rising Stars in Design." While deeply rooted in Diné (Navajo) pottery traditions, Jared pushes beyond simple recreation of historical forms. "Every time I make a pot, I am contributing to the definition of what Navajo pottery is," he says, "and that comes with a lot of power."