Saginaw Chippewa Sculptor Jason Quigno Wins 1st Place at Santa Fe Indian Market

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Entertainment. Discussion »

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO – Jason Quigno loaded up his extended van to make the 22 hour journey from his home in Michigan to Santa Fe, New Mexico to enter his sculpture into competition at the Santa Fe Indian Market, the most prestigious art market in Indian Country.

The Flow of Life

Quigno, 37, is a stone sculptor, who has been working with stone since he was 14. A tribal citizen of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, he learned sculpturing skills when attended a class put on by the Tribe's education department.

Quigno brought along four sculptures from Michigan.

The one sculpture Quigno entered into competition called "The Flow of Life" won first prize in contemporary stone sculpture division.

"The Flow of Life" is made of fine Indiana limestone and when completed weighed 80 pounds. The sculpture brought had many people saying "Wow!" as they stopped to look at it, according to Quigno.

That is part of the sense of accomplishment he gets as an artisan.

“I want people to feel something when they see my sculptures,”

said Quigno.

“Several people told me they got goose bumps when they saw 'The Flow of Life.'”

In stone sculpture category, in the Santa Fe Indian Market, there are two divisions: contemporary non-objective and representational. Non-objective sculptures are more abstract that leave the subject open to interpretation, while representational sculptures are meant to depict objective, such as people or animals.

In describing the prize-winning sculpture, Quigno stated:

“Sculpture is a flowing infinity symbol. Mother Earth has the oceanic current that flows all together. We as people return to earth. Throughout the universe there is flow. We are taught everything is related. This is what I tried to capture in this sculpture.”

“Non-representational is where my head is right now,”

Quigno told the Native News Network on Sunday evening.

“I worked on all four pieces I brought with me for the past two months. I really cannot put a time frame on the many hours I have on any one of them. I will work on one and go work on another. As I am working on one, it gives me inspiration to go back to another.”

The Santa Fe Indian Market attracts the most talented American Indian artisans. Those who make it into competition are the best of the best.

“It took me two years before I was accepted. It is tough to get into the Indian Market,”

reflected Quigno.

“I started coming six years ago and have been in the last four.”

Of the four pieces Quigno brought with him, he sold two.

More about Jason Quigno

American Indian Sculptor Jason Quigno's "7 Chief clans of the Anishinabe"

The Making of a Photograph III

“I was happy with selling the two. Now that I won some galleries want to talk to me about placing my work in their galleries here,”

commented Quigno.

Even with his success in Santa Fe, Quigno remains humble.

“I may have won, but there is so much good work here. I think there some better than mine,”

stated Quigno.

“I am just glad to stand amongst them/I am honored to be among them.”

“I feel an obligation to tell our stories for future generations. I tell my stories through stones,”

Quigno told the Native News Network last fall.

posted August 20, 2012 7:50 am edt