Ramon Dalangyawma
Born Ramon Albert, Jr. (a non-Hopi surname), his grandmother gave him the name Dalangyawma, a name of the Greasewood Clan. As a young man, he attended school in Santa Fe and served in the US Marines. Ramon began his silver working career in 1978 at Hopicrafts then located near the village of Hotevilla. His designs come from his experiences in life - clouds, thunderbolts and rain - important in an area with no irrigation for crops; and bear, spider, antelope, prayer feathers, kachinas, kokopelli, corn - the clan religious symbols, the basis of Hopi life.
Ramon's work is characterized by the very heavy weight (thickness) silver he uses and his laser like precision in cutting out his designs and meticulous background stamping - nothing but the highest quality. He is a very fine man who we are proud to call our friend!
Ramon uses his name stamped into the reverse of his pieces as his hallmark. Earlier examples of his work were marked with a composite RA.
Ramon lives in Hotevilla. His son Cheston was honorably discharged from the Marine Corp and graduated from Arizona State University where he obtained his Master's Degree in Criminal Justice. At present, Cheston is living in Artesia, NM and working as an instructor at the Federal Police Academy.
Shown in the picture above is Ramon and his grand daughter Tawavensie during Christmas, 2023. She has grown into a beautiful young lady, as you can see from the picture to the right taken at the Heard Museum show in 2018. Ramon is a very, very proud Grandpa (that is "Kwa" in Hopi)!
We are pleased to know Ramon and share examples of his extraordinary talent with you.
