He'ya'sha

Tribal Affiliation: Pueblo of Acoma

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"I began making jewelry at the age of nine under the instruction of my father Lional, who has always had an influence on my design. My inspiration comes from the traditional and cultural design elements of my pueblo. I spent 4 years of my career working for jewelry designer Van Cleef and Arpels, which has permanently altered my view of jewelry design.  I hope to combine traditional Acoma design with a modern twist to create a new aesthetic that elevates Acoma/Native design in mainstream American culture.  I aspire to expand the boundaries of what people conceptualize "Native American jewelry" to be.For me jewelry is a deep passion and I am always striving to learn the use of new tools and techniques."