*Ruth Lewis-Diné Elder Dahodiyinii (Sacred Places)*, 2021, Digital archival print, 24 x 30 in. (61 x 76.2 cm), Edition of 3 + 2 AP

Written by Katie Grierson

Copy Edited by Parker Renick

Na’ashjéii Asdzáá, or Spiderwoman, holds a special significance for the Diné (Navajo) people as one of their most important deities. Often acting as a helper in folklore, Spiderwoman is credited with having taught the Diné weaving, guiding their hands as they learned how to interlace and create, while also showing the Diné how to achieve balance and harmony within themselves and the world. And similarly to the role Spiderwoman has in Diné religious beliefs, Spiderwoman is integral–as is all of Diné history and beliefs–to Dakota Mace’s first solo exhibition at the Bruce Silverstein Gallery titled Diné Bé' Iiná (The Diné Lifeway).

*Naʼashchʼąąʼ III*, 2018, Digital archival print of scanned cyanotype 24 x 24 in. (61 x 61 cm), Edition of 3 + 2 AP

Within the exhibition, Mace translates and reinterprets Diné history and beliefs like Spiderwoman, pushing our understanding of Diné tradition through multiple mediums: chemigrams, beaded cyanotypes, weavings, and editioned prints are all included in Diné Bé' Iiná (The Diné Lifeway). Mace’s selection and inclusion of these mediums aren’t random, however. Talking about the series Nihá, part of the exhibition, Mace states that the materials used “are connected to the places they reside, the memories they hold, and the complexities they share to our lineage.”

*Náhookos Biko’ (Northern Fire), Náhookos Bi’áadii (Northern Female), & Náhookos Bika’ii (Northern Male)*, 2017, Unique natural white cotton and wool with glass beadwork, Overall: 67 1/2 x 42 in. (171.4 x 106.7 cm)

In the weaving work Náhookos Biko’ (Northern Fire), Náhookos Bi’áadii (Northern Female), & Náhookos Bika’ii (Northern Male), Mace exposes the deeper and more abstract meanings of Diné narratives while simultaneously remaining faithful to the Diné concept of Hozhó (balance); this symmetry and balance can be viewed throughout the exhibition, for instance with Mace’s selective use of color, and the Spiderwoman motif with its four points. This devotion to and love of tradition is visible–the striking colors of chemigrams also evoke a deep sense of richness, of having come from somewhere, of belonging to someone.

*So’ (Stars)*, 2019, Unique arrangement of 40 chemigrams 24 x 40 in. (61 x 101.6 cm), Each 6 x 4 in.

Throughout the work, Mace connects with Diné traditions while also working in consideration of the concept and complexities of fine art. “Diné (Navajo) weaving,” Mace says, “is more than technique and craftsmanship…the western world continues to perceive Diné weavings as utilitarian objects and not works of art. I have approached this conversation by subtly introducing western forms of weaving in combination with Diné beliefs. By doing so, I am creating an entirely new concept that translates the language of Diné weavings through the understanding of the fine art world. This serves as a different approach to cultural reclamation and preservation and the importance of the meanings of the motifs used in my weavings.”

*Tó (Water) I-IV*, 2021, Digital archival prints of scanned cyanotypes, 36 x 24 in. (91.4 x 61 cm)

Mace says, “It is believed that to understand the Diné, you must place yourself into the world of Diné tradition.” And through Diné Bé' Iiná (The Diné Lifeway), we certainly are placed in the traditions of the Diné as we discover a different approach to weaving, the beauty, and colors of the Dinébikéyah (the Diné homeland), the Spiderwoman, who has weaved her own web of the universe, and art that carries in it the weight of generations.