Carol Lujan, a clay and glass artist, is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and lives and works in both Arizona and New Mexico. She is of the Totsohnii (Big Water) clan and her original clan is Hashtl’shnii (Mud Clan). Carol’s contemporary clay and glass art is inspired by her family, her native culture and heritage and the beautiful landscape of the Southwest.
Her colorful clay masks are influenced by the Navajo deities and her clay sculptures reflect the strength, humor and spirit of indigenous women of the Southwest. Additionally, her glass art transforms traditional native art into a contemporary nontraditional art form. The designs on her glass rugs are inspired by her grandmother’s rugs as well as historical Navajo rug designs from the mid 1800s. Various traditional indigenous designs and symbols, combined with the contemporary medium of glass, compliment and strengthen one another and provide a unique piece of art.
The artist participates in various art markets across the Southwest including the Heard Museum Indian Market, the Pueblo Grande Indian Market in Phoenix, Arizona; the Native Treasures Art Show, the Santa Fe Indian Market in New Mexico, and the American Indian Arts Marketplace at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles, California. She has received awards for her glass and clay work from a number of art venues.
When she is not working on her art she enjoys spending time with her family and friends both in Arizona and New Mexico. She also encourages her daughter and granddaughter to draw and sculpt and has renovated an old adobe family home (in Taos Pueblo, New Mexico) into an art studio where they work on their art projects.
Carol is passionate about the creative process and continues to expand her knowledge about clay and glass sculpting while incorporating the indigenous Southwest tradition and culture into her pieces. Her overall inspiration continues to be founded on the beauty, strength, endurance, humor and sovereignty of American Indian nations and peoples. She aspires to have these values passed on through her art and feels blessed and privileged to be able to express herself as an indigenous artist. Furthermore, she is passing on her knowledge and joy of art to her thirteen year-old granddaughter, Tara Lujan-Baker, whose work is also featured on this website.