A captivating figure now stands in the National Museum of the American Indian in New York. Visitors may find themselves compelled to pause to look at the sculpture, which is much of its intent.
This clay sculpture, entitled “Remind,” is now on display at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York. The figure’s plus signs and x’s surrounding its head and upper body are representative of stars.
“Remind,” Rose B. Simpson (Kha’p’o Owinge [Santa Clara Pueblo]), 2022; clay, steel, grout, lava beads; 66" x 35" x 15". 27/848
Photo by Elisabeth Bernstein, courtesy of the artist; Jack Shainman Gallery, New York; and Jessica Silverman, San Francisco
This recent addition to the museum’s collection is the inspiration of Rose B. Simpson, a Kha’p’o Owinge (Santa Clara Pueblo) multimedia artist who descends from several generations of Pueblo artists and creatives. Her great-grandmother Rose Naranjo—for whom she was named—was a famed ceramicist who taught her techniques to her 10 children. Her maternal grandmother, Rina Swentzell, was an architect, historian and author with a doctorate in American Studies from the University of New Mexico. And her mother, Roxanne Swentzell, is not only a farmer but also a noted clay and bronze sculptural artist with her own gallery.
While Simpson is perhaps best known for her contemporary clay figures, she works in several different media—metal, automotive design, fashion, poetry and even performance art. “I am a hard worker. I have lots of projects,” she said. Her busy schedule also includes family and community responsibilities. “I have a very hectic life as an only parent to a little girl, and I participate in my [Pueblo] community,” she said. With all these demands on her time, she said, “I oftentimes get myself kind of whirled up in my thoughts and have anxiety for all the things that need to be done.”
Her sculpture, now prominently displayed at the NMAI, was intended to be a personal remedy for such moments of stress. Entitled “Remind,” the clay figure has plus signs and x’s surrounding its head and upper body that resemble tattoos yet were carefully painted on with a metallic glaze.
Simpson said these markings represent stars, and the artwork could be a reminder for us all to look up at them to maintain perspective, to remember our lives are part of a greater picture. “When I get too small in my thinking, I get myself more anxious and more worried and more wound up,” she explained. “So if I remember that I am part of something much bigger, it calms me down. … I can be a much healthier and happier and [a more] stronger and powerful person.” While stemming from Simpson’s life and experience, “Remind” is an offering of calm and comfort to all.