Born to traditional Hopi parents at Hotelvilla in Northern Arizona, Charles Loloma grew up nurtured and inspired by a rich artistic environment. Both his father, a weaver, and his mother, a basket maker, taught him a clear sense of design as well as dedication to perfection. By the age of 20, Loloma was already receiving commissions for mural paintings and book illustrations.
At the age of 40, he turned to jewelry design. While the first works were very traditional, it wasn’t long before he started “pushing the envelope”. In the late 50’s, Loloma’s jewelry was rejected from Indian arts competitions as being too non-traditional; in large part, because this designer insisted upon using such unconventional materials as gold and serpentine. However, he persevered and eventually became known as the visionary who revolutionized the look of contemporary North American Indian Jewelry.
“I have many fond memories of Charles,” says gallery director Bill Faust. “The Scottsdale gallery of my great aunt, Lovena Ohl, helped establish the reputation that made him an icon of the art world.”
And what an international icon he was! Loloma had private showings in Paris, was an artist-in-residence in Japan, Okinawa, Korea, and the Philippines. He won award after award at this nation’s most prestigious shows and enjoyed one-man shows at numerous museums.
During his lifetime, the artist received many honors. President Lyndon B. Johnson selected his jewelry to give the Queen of Denmark as well as the wife of the president of the Philippines. In 1990, shortly before his death, Loloma received the Arizona Governor’s Art Award. |
