Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay

Edited by Cécile R. Ganteaume and Jennifer McLerran
National Museum of the American Indian (2024)
272 pages
Review by Christine M. Ami

In the world of Diné weaving perhaps there is no other textile artist as well known for their technical abilities to convey the nat­ural and supernatural relationships that exist within Diné land­scapes than DY Begay. Sublime Light attests to this claim, showcas­ing Begay’s career with 80 masterpieces made at the loom of the Tsélání weaver. With accompanying essays and writings from artists, historians, creative writers, and Begay herself, the book positions her textiles as Diné ecological, historical, and cultural narratives written in wool.

Begay’s exhibited weavings span creation dates from 1965 to 2022, capturing landscapes intimately tied to the weaver’s identity and personal history. Land formations such as those in Red Mesa, the prayerful meeting time of night and day in Sunset Mesas, the ceremonial panorama of Night Way, and the link between crops and prayer in Pollen Path demonstrate the manners in which Diné landscapes transgress time, space, and place. Other textiles such as Blessing of Rain and Drought address the impacts of weather pat­terns on the physical landscapes and the traditional ecological knowledge needed for harvesting natural dyes sourced from plants.

Additionally, period pieces such as the serape Bíníghádzíltł’óní (Woven Through), the plain weave Ute Style, and Begay’s own beginnings as shown in Early Weaving honor Diné textile legacies as well as contemporary landscapes that both challenge and ground the modern-day weaver. With innovation and finesse at her fingertips, Begay demonstrates the influence of Diné textile trends and styles on her own weaving. Readers gain a sense of Diné weaving not as a material static object of the past, but rather as a virtuosity of Diné futurisms.

Although there is an absence of male contributors, which echoes a larger societal gender/weaving discussion, this multi-authored collection reinforces Begay’s woven narratives of survivance through land, life, and intergenerational teachings. This includes motherly stories of Begay from her younger twin sisters, Berdine Begay and Berdina Charley, who each stand as renowned weavers in their own rights. From this intercropping of personal stories, Indigenous national narratives, and curatorial touches, the collection celebrates the time immemorial practice of Diné weaving from the ground up.

Poignantly, from Luci Tapahonso’s poetic positionings of the warp through Jennifer Denetdale’s reminder of the storytelling found in the weft, the English language is challenged as the leading source of Diné weaving knowledge. This posits weaving as a traditional Diné writing form which is coincidingly emphasized with Begay’s explications translating wool to English. Such insight, including her personal notes, photos of landscape inspi­rations, and her weaving sketches, provides methods for weaving students as they seed their innovations to their weaving futures.

Christine M. Ami, PhD (Navajo) is an associate professor of Indigenous animal studies, Native American studies, and Indigenous art markets at Diné College.