Mark Swazo Hinds is the son of famed Tesuque Pueblo painter Patrick Swazo - Hinds. He was born in Berkley, California, moved to Santa Fe in 1968 and moved to the Tesuque Pueblo in 1972. After studying art at Haskell Indian Junior College and then the University of Kansas, Mark graduated from the Institute of American Art in 1981. He studied under Allen Houser at the IAIA during his college years. He is a noted fetish carver, but also has branched out to painting. Mark's work can be seen on permanent display at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe, the Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe, and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe, and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.
Mark began by making fetishes in his teens but says he has been creating art his whole life. In 1984 he started exhibiting at Indian Market in Santa Fe, which has garnered him three awards. Marks's work speaks of his heritage and are of collections throughout the United States as well as in France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
Mark Swazo Hinds specializes in using traditional skills to make his pieces for a contemporary audience. His Fetishes speak of his heritage and are collected throughout the USA, Europe and Asia. He is deeply involved with the tradition of his craft and each piece is blessed in traditional Pueblo style and the collector will carry these spiritual blessings with them forever.
The exquisite marble pieces, with rust markings and inlaid turquoise, bears earrings and a ceremonial headdress of parrot and turkey feathers are true to the culture of the Pueblo people. Turquoise, in the Tewa language, is a stone whose beauty is untranslatable in the English language.
He continues to shape and mold figures that bring well-deserved acclaim. His pieces have featured in shows around the country that celebrate Native American art, reflecting an artistry of solid strength and vision.
Mark Swazo Hinds is an avid hunter and fly fisherman and collects many of the artifacts that he uses in his pieces on his frequent trips to the wild. After a piece is completed, he blesses it in the traditional Pueblo style before it is taken to its next place of resting, be it a Gallery, Show or part of a Private Collection.
