David Gaussoin
lives in Santa Fe, NM
born in Santa Fe, NM
tsosie-gaussoin.com | @h2o.taneh
David Gaussoin, a Santa Fe jewelry artist of Picuris Pueblo, Navajo, and French descent, comes from a long line of creatives, ranging from silversmiths and painters to rug weavers, sculptors, and woodworkers. Although Gaussoin credits his mother, decorated jewelry artist Connie Tsosie Gaussoin, as his greatest teacher, he has definitely trodden his own path in the art and fashion worlds.
Gaussoin, a self-proclaimed perfectionist, incorporates traditional jewelry materials, such as gold, sterling silver, and a slew of precious and semiprecious stones and fuses these materials with unconventional provisions, like steel and aluminum. He’s also not married to a particular technique—his finished pieces have been executed via traditional tufa casting, hand stamping, wax castings, and lapidary.
‘I feel jewelry and fashion allows me to escape into another realm’
The results are fascinating. Any fashion model would be honored to wear Gaussoin’s retro-future “iceberg collar” that’s constructed with handmade sterling silver, stainless steel, and antique Japanese fishing glass. Meanwhile, Gaussoin’s tufa casts, made from a compressed volcanic ash material found on the Navajo reservation, include sterling silver bracelets with rutilated quartz beads and “rain cloud earrings” that incorporate Czech glass beads.
“I feel jewelry and fashion allows me to escape into another realm. It enables me to create beauty for myself, as well as others, to enjoy,” Gaussoin writes in his artist statement.
Gaussoin’s pieces have been exhibited at Santa Fe Indian Market and included in permanent collections throughout the country, including the Heard Museum in Phoenix, the Museum of Art and Design in New York City, and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque.
