348

Emmi Whitehorse

Diné (Navajo), b. 1957

Untitled (Yellow), 2017

oil, chalk, graphite, pastel on paper over canvas
inscribed verso: -untitled- / 9.2017 / [artist's signature]
sheet: 11 1/4 x 11 in. (28.6 x 27.9 cm.), canvas: 12 1/4 x 12 in. (31.1 x 30.5 cm.)

  • Provenance: The Steven and Karen Berkowitz Collection

    Emmi Whitehorse is a Diné (Navajo) painter and printmaker whose lyrical abstractions are built from layers of marks, glyphs, and atmospheric color that she describes as a personal language rooted in land and light. She earned a BA in painting (1980) and an MA in printmaking (1982) at the University of New Mexico, and early on worked alongside peers in the Grey Canyon Group. Today she lives and works near Santa Fe, NM. Materials vary—oil or mixed media on paper mounted to canvas, as well as large mixed-media canvases—but the constant is a quiet mapping of place rather than overt narrative. Throughout her career, Whitehorse's longstanding commitment to beauty and peace has its origins in the Navajo philosophy Hózhó, which seeks to achieve a harmonious balance of life, mind, and body with nature. Recent attention includes inclusion in the National Gallery of Art's exhibition The Land Carries Our Ancestors and acquisition of her work Fog Bank (2020). She also appeared in the 2024 Venice Biennale and continues to show internationally. Her work is held widely and has been the subject of solo shows at the Wheelwright, Tucson, Joslyn Art Museum and the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art among others.
  • Condition: This piece is in very fine condition overall. Whitehorse rarely worked in this size format and these small paintings represent a fine and treasured component of the artist's oeuvre. Upon revisiting this painting in person recently, the artist remarked, "This is a gem!"

    A condition report for this lot is available upon request and is provided by Santa Fe Art Auction as a courtesy and convenience for potential buyers.

Shipping Options

Invaluable Shipping

  • Expert Care packing and Shipping
  • Shipment Protection
  • Real-time tracking

Arrange your own

  • You will coordinate with us to arrange your own shipping

Local pickup

  • You will coordinate with us and arrange pick up time after payment.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, COD (cash on delivery), MasterCard, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

November 8, 2025 1:00 PM MST
Santa Fe, NM, US

Santa Fe Art Auction

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$1 - $1,000,000:
23.00%
$1,000,001+:
18.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000