Love Adorned: Lori Tapahonso

Although Eugene, Oregon-based but Shiprock, New Mexico-born artist and jewelry designer Lori Tapahonso has been making jewelry for only seven years, the quality and craftsmanship of her pieces led us to believe she’s been designing for decades. Native Max writer Tree Mangan (Diné) talks with Tapahonso in this exclusive interview.

When I first met Lori Tapahonso in Lawrence, Kansas, I felt like we had known each other forever. We would have long conversations, and I would walk away seeing things in a different light, feeling happy and content.

I recall seeing a pair of her beautiful earrings, and it called out to me. At the time, I was in college and had very little money, but I had to have them. I pulled out my quarters which were supposed to be used for laundry and bought them. To this day, they are still my favorite, and I feel amazing and beautiful in them like they were made just for me. That is what Tapahonso wants with each piece she makes. She said, “It’s important for my buyers to feel like their selection is as special and unique as they are.” Not only is her style exclusive, but she takes great pride in her creations. “Each piece is unique and one-of-a-kind and comes from my heart.”

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

I’m a mother, wife, daughter, sister, teacher, an actor, and an artist. My maternal clan is Salt Water. My paternal clan is Salt People and Acoma Pueblo Eagle Clan. My maternal grandfather is the Bitter Water clan. My paternal grandfather is the Mexican Clan and the Acoma Pueblo Eagle Clan. This is how I am known as a Navajo and Acoma Pueblo woman. We are a matrilineal society, so our mother’s clans are carried forward. This introduction is essential because it lets others know what my father’s and grandfather’s clans are and honors my family by allowing me to carry them with me in life.

I currently live in the homelands of the Kalapuya people of the Pacific Northwest in Eugene, Oregon. I was born in Shiprock, New Mexico in the four corners region of the US. This is the place I will always call home and a place that influences my daily life and especially my art. I also called Lawrence, KS, home of Haskell Indian Nations University home for more than 25 years. My jewelry art was born there in 2012.

How did you begin making your jewelry?

It feels like it was so long ago, but it was only a mere seven years ago. My mother was doing some spring cleaning and gave me two plastic craft boxes filled with stones, beads, wires, clasps, and earring hooks. She said she hadn’t made jewelry in a long time and thought I might like to try. I later learned that my grandmother was also a jeweler. She made necklaces, earrings, and did some silver work.

The boxes sat on a shelf for a few years before I ever opened them. Once I did, there was no turning back. I taught myself the basics with a lot of trial and error. I slowly increased my jewelry. If there was a look that I wanted to achieve, I’d find photos or videos online that would teach me. I’d work with a design until it matched what I imagined.

From the beginning, I also found ways to reuse materials. My mom’s box of supplies had partially made pieces that I reused in my new pieces. That is still my style and method. Today, I make several pieces with recycled or repurposed antiques, broken jewelry, or one-sided earrings. Friends will give me bags of old jewelry to reuse. I find joy in making something old and unwanted into something new and alive again.

My jewelry collections include earrings, necklaces, cuffs, and rings that offer a unique fusion of contemporary, bohemian, and modern from a Native perspective. By this, I mean that my work is always reminiscent of who I am, but also has mainstream flavor. I still use natural materials like turquoise stones, coral, jet, and shells, and will perhaps pair them with salvaged 1920’s jewelry that I turn into earrings. I find an exciting challenge in indigenizing the mainstream. Each piece is unique, and one-of-a-kind and comes from my heart. If I have requests to remake a piece, they will be similar, but still, have elements that make them slightly different. My buyers need to feel like their selection is as special and unique as they are.

Who inspires your work, and what does it aim to say?

I come from a family of creators. My whole family inspires me to push my boundaries on my creations. In the beginning, it was my daughters, Chamisa and Briana Edmo, and my niece, Landri James that were my unintentional biggest supporters. They were the reason I began making jewelry. I’d make enough pieces based on their various styles and personalities, that by the time Christmas came around, I’d have a small stockpile. I would then hang them around the house where they could browse and pick their favorites as my Christmas present to each of them. They always loved their gifts.

It was my daughters that urged me to “take my jewelry public.” They would tell me that when they wore my designs, friends would ask where they got them. I would laugh and dismiss it as them being my #1 fans. One day, my daughter told me that she had something to show me. She opened up Etsy and gave me my sign-in info. She said my store was up and running; all I needed to do was post the goods. With her help, I posted my first few earring pieces. I sold out within a week. I was in disbelief.

It’s been such a fantastic journey over the last seven years. In it all, my family are my biggest cheerleaders. They are always influencing how I see jewelry design. My daughters and niece are now grown and in the world. They are all amazing young women and have entirely different styles. They continue to influence how I create new pieces.

When I travel to pow wows and art shows to show and sell my jewelry, I love to talk with the men and women who purchase my jewelry. Many will try on, walk away, only to come back because they couldn’t stop thinking about the piece they tried on. I believe folks who connect with my work do so because they feel the love in every piece. They feel the life, and many times new life each piece exudes. When they try on my jewelry, I want them to feel adorned with the love I’ve put into my work; thus, my business name, Love Adorned by Lori Tazbah.

What does your art do for you?

My art has been healing in so many ways for me. In the beginning, it was so frustrating to learn how to do the basics. There were days (and there still are) where I would have to walk away because I was at my wit’s end. As I became more adept with jewelry making, I found another natural obstacle: perfection.

By my nature, I’m a perfectionist. I’ve had a background in public relations and event planning. You have to strive to be as near to perfection as you can; a mistake can end your career. I have gravitated towards my career choices because I’m sure I was born a perfectionist.

In my jewelry journey, I have learned one thing: handmade jewelry can not be perfect. This was something that I had a hard time coming to terms with. But, as I did, my own life began to change. I learned to be ok with two natural stones, not looking exactly alike. I learned to allow the twists of wire to be similar, but not exact. I learned to let it go when it felt right; to be ok with mistakes. Handmade jewelry should emulate life: beautiful, but perfectly imperfect.

My jewelry has influenced how I see the world. In my life, mistakes are easier to handle. I bounce back quicker from a set-back. I believe that any creative venture that someone finds passion in can do the same for them, as well. Learn to play an instrument, learn to draw, make pottery, take up gardening. Do anything that will help you deal with the stress of this world. In that, you’ll become a better citizen of this world for your community and family.

How do you propagate your work?

I am a “boots on the ground” kind of woman. I love to travel during my weekends and summers to pow wows and art shows between Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona, and now Oregon and Washington. While I prefer to sell in person, I also have been honored to have my art sold in stores in Kansas and at the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum Store in Santa Fe. I have a vibrant Facebook community around my #LoveAdorned- ByLT page that allows me to share new designs and also where folks can buy directly from me online.

Any advice to young artists?

It’s tough to decide to sell your work. There’s a lot that goes into that decision. There is the vulnerability of putting your creations out there for critique by strangers. There is the price factor— the cost of buying supplies needed to sell your artwork. Then there is the extra step – how to make your selling space appealing? The imaging of your vision, or your brand, is that wow factor that will draw people to your space. All of this can seem overwhelming and seem a lot, but it doesn’t have to.

I’ve helped several other artists flesh out their vending dreams. I always tell them to start with the question, “what would make me stop at an art stand?” From there, think of the colors that make you happy. Continue building from there.

A lot of folks tend to go directly to big box stores for their jewelry tags or the packaging supplies. Retail stores sell for retail prices and can cut you short before you even begin. It’s always best to use jewelry suppliers either in person or online. For my fellow jewelers, the prices of real stones and quality beads are much less at notable suppliers than from big box stores. And you just can’t beat the quality.

When thinking about branding, look to your favorite products. How does the shoe company create one look for their products? It boils down to knowing how to make your look consistent from colors to fonts and images. Doing a little research goes a long way. There are so many free resources for branding online. Other Native artists are successful in marketing and branding. Ask them for their advice. The Native artist world is a small one; we encourage new artists every chance we get.

Finally, know your worth. Know how to price your creations accurately. If the effort, supplies and the creation time equal a price that seems a bit high, then ask yourself, “Is my work worth it? Am I worth it?” If the answer is yes, then do not budge of lowering your price. People who know and respect the time and effort of Native artisans will pay for quality artwork by the respected artist.

How can interested people purchase your work?

I have limited pieces of jewelry in the IAIA Museum Store in Santa Fe, NM. I primarily sell in person. Folks who want to see what’s new or in the works can connect with me on Facebook at Love Adorned by Lori Tazbah. I also post the shows or powwows that I will be selling on my Facebook page.