Ted PAVATEA

Ted Pavatea (born July 5, 1952) is a Hopi-Tewa artist, born in the village of Hano (Tewa Pueblo) Arizona. He is the son of renowned potter Garnet Pavatea. He showed artistic promise from childhood, holding a solo exhibition of painting and drawings in Flagstaff at age 15. From 1971 to 1973, he studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, where he received a graphic arts award for his printmaking and design work. He further studied Advanced Design and Illustration at Northern Arizona University from 1973-1975. Pavatea started to commit more time to his art in 1994, becoming increasingly well-known for his carved kachina dolls, especially humorous clown figures. Early output as a printmaker, painter, and illustrator is scarce, and marries tradition with contemporary ideas.