The student of his brothers—David and Gary Reeves—Sunshine Reeves has since made a name for himself in the silversmithing world. This award-winning Navajo artist is a man of many talents. Reeves was taught the art of silversmithing at the age of 24. Since then, he has been a huge innovator of unique designs and stamping techniques in the realm of the craft. Reeves’ very first piece was a stamped Concho made out of a piece of copper his brother gave him. It was the first piece that inspired him to try and create more nice things using the technique. Today, his intricate silver stamp work can be seen in a wide variety of jewelry and everyday pieces, ranging from bracelets to belt buckles, jewelry and trinket boxes, bowls, knives, candle holders, canteens, flasks, and a lot more.
Reeves has been handling silver since the late 90s and is widely known for his impressively intricate hand wrought stamp work on silver. His pieces start as flat sheets of silver. These silver sheets are then hand stamped with traditionally inspired designs and then shaped to form. His work ranges from intricately decorated jewelry pieces and trinket boxes to unique household items like kerosene lanterns. Reeves’ masterpieces are made using an extremely intricate and labor-intensive process, with each marking representing a separate hammer blow. While each piece takes time to produce, this handcrafted intricacy makes his finished products unique and valuable art pieces.
His technique is deeply rooted in tradition. His miniature figures and stamps go through an extremely complex process of handcrafting individual impressions. On average, Sunshine uses at least 10 to 20 unique handmade stamps to create his patterns. This is exactly what makes his pieces very difficult to duplicate.
Recognized as a master in the field of silversmithing, Sunshine Reeves has received plenty of accolades over his years of creating hand stamped silverwork. His pieces have been displayed at many different galleries and museums, including the Heard Museum, Harvard University, and even the Peabody Museum. He has won Best of Show in various markets and ceremonials, including the renowned Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, and the Santa Fe Indian Market, of which he is the first and only silversmith to receive the honor of Best of Show. Sunshine’s pieces are widely collected across the globe, reaching as far east as Japan and Korea, and even different parts of Europe.
About the Company:
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