Nathan Clearwater
Flagstaff, AZ
Nathan Clearwater is a Diné (Navajo) printmaker and woodworker based in Flagstaff, Arizona. His woodcut prints and carved objects draw from the visual traditions of Navajo weaving, sandpainting, and the landscape of the Colorado Plateau. Clearwater carves his printing blocks from locally sourced ponderosa pine, connecting the material of the print matrix to the land his work depicts. He holds an MFA from Arizona State University and a BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts. His prints have been exhibited at the Heard Museum, the Museum of Northern Arizona, and the SWAIA Indian Market. He teaches printmaking at Coconino Community College.
The Process
Background
Education
- 2020MFA, Printmaking — Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
- 2016BFA, Studio Arts — Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM
Exhibitions
- 2025Plateau Impressions — Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ
- 2023New Prints — Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ
Awards
- 2024Best of Classification, Printmaking — SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market
Available Work
Ponderosa Series No. 5
Nathan Clearwater
woodcut on washi, edition of 25
Carved Bowl, Juniper
Nathan Clearwater
hand-carved juniper, oil finish
Storm Pattern
Nathan Clearwater
woodcut on kozo paper, edition of 20
Canyon Walls, Tsegi
Nathan Clearwater
woodcut on mulberry paper, edition of 12
