Four Winds Gallery

Na Na Ping and Thomas Bucich


Na Na Ping (Michael D. Garcia) - Jeweller





Michael Garcia is recognized as a highly talented contemporary jeweller with over 20 years experience. A Pascua Yaqui from the village of Guadalupe; located outside of Temp, Arizona, he was taught the basic jewellery techniques by family members at a young age.

All his designs are original and hand-crafted, the majority of his works are one of a kind. His designs are drawn from a culture as old as time and as diverse as the future. Using some of the finest materials available, and blending them with some of his specialized techniques, he incorporates traditional and contemporary designs, sometime staying with modest traditional designs or more modern contemporary. He also mixes traditional and contemporary designs. He is a diverse artist who also works with stone sculpture. He incorporates a lot of his lapidary techniques into the wide range of sculpture designs. He will inlay the faces, bodies, or incorporate silver headdresses. He attended Arizona State University and later transferred to the University of New Mexico, graduating with a B.A. in Business.

All his art bares his trademark Na Na Ping which is his Tewa name for Aspen Mountain.

Awards:
1999 Best of show, Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Art Fair, 1999 Best of show, Colorado Springs Fine Art Centre, Colorado; 2nd Place, 1999 Pohatan Renape Nation, Rankokus Indian Reservation, NJ, judged American Indian Arts Festival; Best of Show, 1999 Southwest Indian Art Fair - Arizona State Museum; Best of Show and Best in Jewellery, 1998 Schemitzun-Mashantucket Pequot Festival of Green Corn; Award of Excellence in Jewellery, 1998 Southwest Indian Art Fair - Arizona State Museum; Best of Jewellery, 1998 Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce - Native American Art Show; The 1997 recipient of the prestigious SWAIA - Arlene Feddes Fellowship Award, recognition of excellence in Native American Art; 1997 First Place in Jewellery - Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Art Fair; 1996 Best of Show, Best in Jewellery, First place and Second place in Jewellery - Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Art Fair. 1996 First place in Jewellery - Santa Monica Ceremonial. 1995 Best in Division and 2nd place - Dallas Art Festival Indian Market. 1995 Best in Jewellery, 2nd place Gold Category - Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Art Fair.

Thomas Bucich - Sculptor and Painter

Education:
Art Students League, New York City
Parsons School of Design, New York City - Bachelor of Fine Arts Graduate Studies in Architecture, Sculpture, Interior Design

Artworks currently exhibited at Four Winds Gallery, Double Bay

Private commissions to clients in us, Australia, Japan

Exhibited at Art With Altitude - Thredbo Sculpture Competition 2005 and 2006

Winner 2006 Thredbo Sculpture Competition

From an early age, Thomas has actively pursued the study of art and design. Early interest in classical sculpture led him to stone carving and later onto bronzes cast from wax originals.

Beginning with study of the classic works of Michelangelo, Bernini and on to Henry Moore and Alberto Giacometti, his work develops into pieces that are inspired by classical proportion and technique within a modern context. The pieces are modern in that they maintain a ësketchy qualityí in which the action of forming the works are retained in the surface texture and finish.

Extensive studies of architecture and draughting become apparent in his drawings and even in oil paintings which display much linework and often a ëscratchingí into the surface.

Since moving to Australia in 1990, Thomas has developed an obsession with the Australian landscape. The ruggedness of the natural environment, the sculptural quality of the landscape and the richness of colour has inspired a series of drawings, pastels, watercolours and sculptures. Figurative themes include the combination of the human form, architecture and landscape. The relationship and interrelationship between interior and exterior, figure and landscape remains an ongoing theme.