Culturally, the Hopi are rich with pottery, weaving, and katsina doll carving. One aspect that is not highlighted as much is the landscape; the vast open sky can be filled with spring-white clouds to winter-grey snow clouds. Charnelle ( “Nellie”) Leslie will talk about the relationship Hopi people have had with photography and how the landscape inspires her work.

Charnelle is from the Hopi village of Sitsom’ovi (Sichomovi). After graduating high school, she attended the Art Institute of Phoenix where she set off on her photography journey. Most recently, her photography has focused on the beauty of the landscape of the Hopi reservation.

This talk is presented in conjunction with Arizona State Museum’s exhibit, Light Handlers: Indigenous Photographers in the Southwest, on display February 21 – July 20, 2024.