Allen Aragon

Born 1964

Navajo (Arizona)

Medium: Jewelry

Allen Aragon was born as part of the Tsenjikini Clan (Cliff Dweller People) in Ganado, Arizona. He later moved to New Mexico where he was raised on a ranch near Chaco Canyon. With an interest in art, his mother, textile artist Nanabah Aragon, encouraged him to express himself creatively. He experimented with leather craft, painting, wood and braiding techniques before he began work in silversmithing. 

At a young age, he was inspired by the broken pottery pieces around his ranch, and during an exhibition show, he met an elderly Acoma potter who taught him the techniques of pot making. With this new knowledge, Allen combined these two techniques (pottery and silversmithing) to create his unique pottery style jewelry. He continues to work in both jewelry and clay, occasionally morphing both to create intricately designed pottery pieces inlayed in silver and gold.