Michael Naranjo

(Tewa | Santa Clara Pueblo, born 1944)

Michael Naranjo (Tewa and Santa Clara Pueblo) is a sculptor, and he is blind. With his keen sense of touch and intuition, he creates clay figures that are cast in bronze.

Naranjo grew up in the Santa Clara Pueblo and in Taos, both in New Mexico. His mother was a ceramic artist, and he grew up helping her prepare clay. In 1968, while serving in the Vietnam War, an exploding grenade took his sight. He always knew that he wanted to be an artist, but he did not begin to sculpt until after he returned from Vietnam. Naranjo has also founded hands-on museum experiences for disabled persons in many U.S. cities, including the Heard Museum in Phoenix and Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art in Indianapolis. His artworks have been widely exhibited across the U.S., and he has received many commissions and awards.