Listening to my Nana (Grandfather) and his two sisters tell stories about growing up in Zuni, New Mexico, helped me understand my own reality. I realized that we are all just stories. The rich histories, traditions, and ways of being are intertwined within their narratives.
In the winter, during storytelling season, the Old Man next door shares many tales about animals and the lessons they learn from their experiences. These stories impart life lessons that stay with them as they grow. At the end of each story, the storyteller says “Lahona Datchadu” (May We Grow Tall), and everyone raises their hands as high as they can, accepting this wisdom as truth.
This is my reality. Traditionally, Zuni People (A:Shiwi) embody complexity and intentionality in their ways of living, knowing, and being. I use watercolor as a tool to illustrate the complex layers of storytelling and traditional ways of living. I carry these lessons with me throughout my design process.
Great Grandfather, the Storyteller
Waffle Garden, Everything has PurposeWays of Being Framework: Ontology - What is Real (left)? Espistemology - How we know what is Real (top)? Methodoloy - How we learn more about this Reality (right)? Axiology - What knowledge is important and how we should use it (bottom)? Tortillas, Creating New Traditions
My Nana’s Story, Stories are Built into Our Environment
Layers of LivingOne Big RoomInside and Outside as OneListening to the SkyFamily StonesHow Light Comes In
Sketch of Layers of Living Winter and Summer Sketch
Bringing Together One Big Room
Sketch of How Light Comes In Sketch of Transformative Spaces
Purposeful Space
May We Grow Tall