Michael Kabotie

Michael Kabotie (1942-2009), known by his Hopi name Lomawywesa, was a renowned Hopi artist, silversmith, painter, poet, and teacher from Shungopavi on Hopi’s Second Mesa. Raised in a family of artists, his father, Fred Kabotie, was instrumental in developing Hopi overlay techniques, and his mother, Alice Talayaonema, was a traditional Hopi basket weaver. Kabotie began his artistic journey as a teenager, learning jewelry making from Wally Sekayumptewa and his cousins, Walter Polelonema, McBride, and Mark Lomayestewa.

While attending Haskell Indian School in Lawrence, Kansas, Kabotie was selected to participate in the Southwest Indian Art Project at the University of Arizona, where he was mentored by artists Fritz Scholder, Helen Hardin, Charles Loloma, and Joe Herrera. This experience marked the beginning of his painting career, leading to his first solo exhibition at the Heard Museum and a cover feature on Arizona Highways magazine.

In 1967, during his Wuwutsim Society initiation, Kabotie received his Hopi name, Lomawywesa (LOH-ma-wy-wee-sah), meaning “walking in harmony.” Around the same time, he grew disillusioned with creating art solely for art’s sake and co-founded Artist Hopid, a group of five Hopi painters who sought to reinterpret traditional Hopi art forms. Kabotie’s work drew heavily from prehistoric kiva mural paintings from Awatovi and the bold graphic designs of Sikyatki pottery. His abstract interpretations became his trademark, embodying both Hopi tradition and modernist influences.

Kabotie’s jewelry work began to evolve in the 1980s, utilizing the Hopi overlay technique with silver and gold to create intricate, abstract designs that mirrored the patterns in his paintings. He continued to refine his style while teaching at the Idyllwild Arts Foundation for over thirteen years, receiving recognition, including a 1996 award from the Idyllwild School of Art in California.

Throughout his life, Kabotie shared his artistic vision globally, lecturing in the U.S., New Zealand, Germany, and Switzerland. His works are featured in major collections, including the Museum of Northern Arizona, the Heard Museum, the British Museum of Mankind in London, and the Gallery Calumet-Neuzzinger in Heidelberg. His poetry book, 'Migration Tears: Poems about Transitions,' was published in 1987 by UCLA.

Despite his many artistic achievements, Kabotie’s greatest legacy was the personal and spiritual journey he embodied in his later years. His son Ed Kabotie reflected, “Although my father is best known for his paintings and silverwork, I believe that his greatest legacy is the healing journey that he both walked and challenged others to walk.”

Michael Kabotie passed away in 2009 at Flagstaff Medical Center. He was honored with a tribute exhibition at the Museum of Northern Arizona, 'Walking in Harmony: The Life and Work of Lomawywesa Michael Kabotie,' celebrating his art, family, and Hopi heritage. Idyllwild also held a commemorative exhibition titled 'An Artist, Teacher, Philosopher, Trickster, Mythic Archaeologist, and Friend,' in which Paul Kabotie, Michael’s oldest son, stated, “When he left this world, he had become the man he always aspired to be. He leaves a legacy that we, his children, will strive to perpetuate and live up to.”