Lorraine Black

Lorraine Black is known for her bold creativity and her infectious laugh. The third daughter of Mary Holiday Black, Lorraine grew up helping gather and prepare basket materials. Lorraine says inspirations often come to her in dreams. She weaves important events in Diné (Navajo) history and scenes of daily life in Dinétah (the Diné homeland). Lorraine is perhaps the only Diné weaver who includes images of snakes, powerful and potentially dangerous symbols, in her baskets.  Her creativity cannot be contained by the flat surface of a basket. She creates texture and detail in her designs with overstitching and adds objects, like flint arrowheads, to baskets. Some of her woven horses sport real horsehair tales. A domed hogan rises from the center of some of her baskets. Lorraine is an award-winning weaver whose colorful and intricate creations explore and push the boundaries of her culture and art.