ChuqgunaBeads.com

Charles Smith, whose Lakota Sioux Indian name is “Chuqguna,” lived in the Tucson, Arizona desert with his wife Joan until his passing on November 19, 2008. Chuqguna had been handcrafting beautiful custom beaded “pictures” for many years, offering them for sale at local art galleries.

Each beautifully hand-crafted unique beadwork contains thousands of individual beads strung together on his handmade looms, the same way Chuqguna’s grandparents did before him.

Chuqguna painstakingly created his works of art, one at a time, from his own unique designs to convey specific meanings. Each piece was crafted using needle and thread, with each bead interwoven into the threaded loom using a double-threaded weave. The result is a strikingly beautiful piece of art that must be seen to be truly appreciated. Even though some shared similar symbols, no two designs were alike.

Some of the larger pieces took hundreds of hours over several months to create and may contain tens of thousands of beads. Larger works can often weigh in excess of ten pounds before framing.

You’d often find Chuqguna demonstrating his beading technique at the many exhibits throughout the Tucson area. His crafts were often sold at these events and carried a certificate of authenticity signed by Chuqguna.

Chuqguna’s passing in 2008, after a long battle with cancer, marked a great loss for his family and many admirers of his talent. He was truly a great artist and is deeply missed.

Read more about Chuqguna and his art work in the April 14, 2005 issue of the Arizona Star.

Last Update: 03/09/11 11:15 PM

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