Jesse Monongya
The only way to make things beautiful is to be in tune with God and yourself. You can never just say ‘I’m going to pick up a stone and make something beautiful.’
– Jesse Monongya
Jesse Monongya (1952–2024) was a master Navajo/Hopi jeweler, living in Scottdale, AZ. Monongya was best known for his night-sky designs inlaid into a bear shape, which symbolizes strength and power, as well as other forms. His bracelets, necklaces, pendants, bolo ties, and earrings inlaid with Acoma jet, sugilite, coral, turquoise, lapis, and ivory among others are complemented by the dramatic southwestern landscapes that inspired him.
Monongya’s jewelry has been featured in a number of group and solo exhibitions and he has won many awards at major American Indian art shows throughout the Southwest. His work is included in major museum collections, including the Heard Museum, Northern Arizona Museum, U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Museum of Man, Denver Art Museum, The James Museum, Cooper-Hewitt Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, and the American Museum of Natural History.
