Recrafting traditions and materializing memories: a conversation with Keri Ataumbi

Abstract

• This Statement of Practice starts with a description of the inlay piece recently acquired by National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh. The ring—entitled Zemguani—invokes a Kiowa mythical being. Ataumbi discusses its place within her artistic trajectory and studio practice, especially as regards the use of Native and non-Native materials in jewelry. She also addresses her new work, which features unusual combinations of culturally valuable materials, and her collaborative projects with other jewelers and artists. The interview then turns to her childhood and the trading post where she grew up to reflect on the influence of her mother Jeri Ah-be-Hill (1924–2015) in whose memory the Museum’s commission was made. Ah-be-Hill was a significant figure in the Native American community and has had a considerable influence on Ataumbi’s artistic philosophy.