Daniel Begay

Santa Clara Pueblo

Daniel Begay
Daniel Begay

Daniel Begay is the son of Harrison Begay, Jr., a Navajo painter who married into Santa Clara Pueblo and learned the Santa Clara way of making pottery from his mother-in-law. Daniel grew up at Santa Clara, learning to make pottery with his father and collaborating on pieces until he decided to break out on his own.

Daniel developed a style combining Navajo and Santa Clara designs on a carved jar. He differs from his father's work in that his layouts are centered more on a diagonal axis. His father's lines are more vertical, not angled. Both potters like sharp, crisp lines. Daniel has also branched into the use of matte paint on certain sections of his pots and firing some a second time to turn a pot brown/sienna after first making it black.

Daniel earned a graduate degree in accounting and another in business administration. He has a day job as an academic advisor at the University of New Mexico and makes pottery in his spare time as a means to relax and reconnect with his roots. He's also married and raising a daughter.

Bird and geometric designs carved into a polished black jar
Polished black jar carved with bird and geometric designs
5 3/4 in H by 5 3/4 in Dia
Tularosa spiral, kiva-swtep and geometric design carved into a polished red jar
Polished red jar carved with Tularosa spiral, kiva step and geometric design
6 3/4 in H by 6 in Dia
Geometric design carved into a red jar
Polished red jar carved with geometric design
6 1/4 in H by 6 in Dia
Hands and geometric design carved into a polished black jar
Polished black jar carved with hands and geometric design
5 3/4 in H by 6 in Dia
Geometric design carved into a polished black jar
Polished black jar carved with geometric design
5 1/4 in H by 5 1/2 in Dia
Hand, bear, kiva step and geometric design carved into a polished brown jar
Polished brown jar carved with hand, bear, kiva step and geometric design
5 1/4 in H by 5 1/4 in Dia
Hand, spiral and geometric design carved into a brown on brown jar
Brown on brown jar carved with hand, spiral and geometric design
5 1/4 in H by 6 1/2 in Dia
Spiral, turtle and geometric design carved into a brown on brown jar
Brown on brown jar carved with spiral, turtle and geometric design
6 3/4 in H by 6 in Dia
Spiral, hand and geometric design carved into a brown on brown jar with a square opening
Brown on brown jar with a square opening and carved with spiral, hand and geometric design
7 in H by 7 1/2 in Dia
Feathers, bear paw, spiral and cross design carved in a brown on brown jar
Brown on brown jar carved with spiral, bear paw, feather and geometric design
7 1/4 in H by 5 1/2 in Dia
Stylized bear and geometric design carved into a brown jar
Brown jar carved with a stylized bear and geoemtric design
4 1/2 in H by 4 1/2 in Dia
Bear and stylized heart line design carved into a brown jar
Brown jar carved with a bear and stylized heart line design
5 1/4 in H by 5 1/2 in Dia
Spiral, katsina faces and geometric design carved into a black jar
Black jar carved with Tularosa spiral, katsina faces and geometric design
5 1/4 in H by 6 in Dia
Geometric design carved into a square black on black jar
Square black on black jar carved with a geometric design
5 1/2 in H by 7 1/4 in Dia
Stylized eagle and geometric design carved into a black on black jar
Black on black jar decorated with a carved stylized eagle and geometric design
6 3/4 in H by 6 in Dia
Spiral, rabbit, horned toad and geometric design carved into a black on black oval jar
Black on black oval jar carved with a spiral, horned toad, rabbit and geometric design
6 in H by 8 1/2 in Dia

Santa Clara Pueblo Potters