Phil Poseyesva comes from the Second Mesa Village of the Mishongnovi on the Hopi Reservation and is a member of the Bear clan. He began experimenting with various forms of jewelry making at the age of thirteen and has gradually mastered the technique of traditional and contemporary Hopi overlay jewelry. It is Phil’s uses of gemstones, Lone Mountain turquoise, Afgan lapis and Mediterranean coral, that distinguishes his work from many others. Using highly abstract Hopi Symbols representing rain, corn, birds and Kachinas combined with his bold use of color, his works bring a presence of ancient ritual in a contemporary world. His work is featured in Art of the Hopi by Jerry and Lois Jacka, and Southwestern Indian Jewelry by Dexter Cirillo, and has been a featured artist at the Indian Craft Shop at the Department of Interior, in Washington, DC. His work is in the National Collection in Washington DC, the Eiteljorge Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Southwest Museum in Las Angeles, California, and the Gilcrease Museum in Oklahoma.
