Anthony David
Anthony David was born in 1965. He is half Hopi and half Navajo. He grew up in Winslow, AZ and he was inspired to learn the art of carving by his friend, Richard Gorman. Richard taught Anthony the fundamentals of carving on wood. Anthony has been carving on wood since 1989, at the age of 22. The lucrative aspect of the business also played a key roll in his inspiration to become an artisan.
With a simple tool like a pocket knife, materials like cottonwood root, acrylic paint, and an artists imagination, Anthony can transform a simple chunk of wood into spectacular images of full bodied spiritual kachinas. Kachinas are believed to be the spiritual guardians of the Indian way of life. There are over 300 known Kachinas from the Hopi Reservation alone. In ancient times, Hopi kachinas were used in religious ceremonies and were believed to bless and watch over the Hopi People. It is essential to represent a kachina doll as accurately as possible, for they are highly respected. Many of the dolls carved by Anthony are one continuous piece of wood, which is a difficult task to accomplish. His favorite doll to carve is the Eagle Kachina because of the highly detailed work involved. He enjoys the challenge of carving the feathers on the same piece of wood. Anthony signs his dolls as: A*David.
With a simple tool like a pocket knife, materials like cottonwood root, acrylic paint, and an artists imagination, Anthony can transform a simple chunk of wood into spectacular images of full bodied spiritual kachinas. Kachinas are believed to be the spiritual guardians of the Indian way of life. There are over 300 known Kachinas from the Hopi Reservation alone. In ancient times, Hopi kachinas were used in religious ceremonies and were believed to bless and watch over the Hopi People. It is essential to represent a kachina doll as accurately as possible, for they are highly respected. Many of the dolls carved by Anthony are one continuous piece of wood, which is a difficult task to accomplish. His favorite doll to carve is the Eagle Kachina because of the highly detailed work involved. He enjoys the challenge of carving the feathers on the same piece of wood. Anthony signs his dolls as: A*David.