Begay, Daniel

Born in 1988, Daniel Begay is the son of Dineh artist Harrison Begay, Jr. His father married into Santa Clara Pueblo and became well known for his style of pottery using Santa Clara carving techniques. His designs feature both Dineh and Santa Clara imagery.

While Daniel’s work is similar to his father’s, his carving is often centered along a diagonal axis and tends to be more freeform, almost like graffiti-style artwork.

Daniel learned the traditional methods from his father. He’s become an excellent potter with a distinct style of his own, a merging of his personal style with traditional Santa Clara styles.

Traditional Santa Clara ground-fired pottery begins with natural red clays gathered from the hills around the pueblo. After much sifting, grinding and processing Daniel rolls the clay into long thin rolls. He builds each pot by layering the rolls one on top of the other and pinching them together. This hand-coiled method includes smoothing the inner and outer surfaces by hand to attain the final shape.

The pot is polished by rubbing a smooth wet stone over the piece until the clay glistens. Designs are then carved into the surface. Sometimes he accents them by applying a matte slip.

Finally, if a black/brown finish is desired, the piece is fired in an “oxygen reduction” firing process which is created by smothering the fire at the right time with horse manure and ashes. The manure traps a thick, carbon-rich smoke all around the piece which fuses into the clay, turning the surface black. Red pots are created without the “smothering” part of the process.

The entire process is fraught with potential problems and for many potters, only three of every five pieces survive the firing intact. For this reason, potters often view the clay as a living entity; a finished piece is often revered as a gift from whom they often respectfully refer to as the “Clay Mother.”

Daniel earned a graduate degree in accounting and another in business administration and is now employed as an academic advisor at the University of New Mexico. He is married and has a daughter, Violet. He still makes pottery in his spare time. He signs his work “Daniel” and adds the year the pot was made.

Some Awards Daniel has earned

• 2023 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II-C, Category 702 – Carved or incised, black or red, over eight inches, Second Place
• 2023 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II-C, Category 704 – Incised or carved, any form, Second Place
• 2020 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division C – Carved, Native Clay, Hand Built, Fired Out-of-Doors: Second Place. Awarded for Art Work: “Bears Far & Away II”
• 2019 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division C – Traditional Burnished Black or Red Ware; Incised, Painted or Carved, Category 702 – Carved or incised, black or red, over eight inches: Second Place
• 2019 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division F – Miniature pots, individual pieces under 3″ in any direction, Category 1001 – Traditional: Honorable Mention
• 2019 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division G – Pottery miniatures not to exceed three inches at its greatest dimension: Honorable Mention. Awarded for artwork: “Half Bear 2019 – Black”
• 2018 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division C – Traditional Burnished Black or Red Ware; Incised, Painted or Carved, Category 702 – Carved or incised, black or red, over eight inches: Honorable Mention
• 2018 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division C – Carved, Native Clay, Hand Built, Fired Out-of-Doors: Second Place. Awarded for Art Work: “Yei Way”
• 2017 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification II Pottery, Division C – Carved, Native Clay, Hand Built, Fired Out-of-Doors: First Place. Awarded for Art Work: “Turtle Way”