"Yei Bi Chei Ceremony" oil on canvas by Andrew Tsinajinnie

This bold illustration of the Yei Bi Chei (Yébîchai) or Night Chant ceremony is rendered in oil on canvas and is signed by the Navajo/Diné artist Andrew Van Tsinajinnie (1916-2000). Tsinajinnie was known mainly for his illustrations, and his paintings are more rare. Tsinajinnie trained with Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School and enjoyed a successful and versatile career as an artist.

He signed his name many different ways throughout his career, and the signature seen here, "A. Tsinajinnie," suggests he painted this scene in the 1960s. This painting depicts 15 Yébîchai dancers in an ethnographically accurate portrayal of the ceremony. The dynamic dancers give the piece great movement. The design is subtly outlined in white overpaint—a unique signature of Tsinajinnie's style—that makes it pop from the rest of the canvas. The canvas measures 17" height and 23" width, and is in its original 20 3/4" by 26 3/4" wood frame. This is a superb, rare example of Andrew Tsinajinnie's painting.