Leland Holiday — Painted Wood Owl Sculpture, Wall or Floor Display, Signed

A bold and symbolic owl sculpture by celebrated Navajo artist Leland Holiday, hand-carved from a 2-inch-thick tree trunk section and vividly hand-painted. The figure features stylized, oversized yellow eyes and a central orange beak, framed by red, black, and white tonal shading. Across the owl’s body and outstretched wings, carved grooves are accented with white five-point stars outlined in blue, creating a powerful American folk-art motif.

This piece is both a wall-hanging and free-standing sculpture, signed “Leland Holiday” in red on the reverse lower right. The raw texture and irregular base edge give it authentic, organic charm.

Holiday's work often merges pop iconography with Navajo visual language, and this owl—long symbolic in Native cultures of spiritual insight and transformation—is presented here with both reverence and modern punch.

Condition:

Good condition overall with some wear and surface abrasions, and minor wood loss at the lower edge. Structurally sound. Paintwork remains strong and signature is clearly visible.

Dimensions:

Height: 42 inches
Width: 13 inches
Depth: 8 inches
Weight: Approx. 12 lbs

Artist Biography — Leland Holiday (b. 1974):

Born in New Mexico in 1974, Leland Holiday is a self-taught Navajo (Diné) artist known for fusing bold contemporary imagery with traditional Indigenous themes. Drawing early influence from artists like Basquiat, Picasso, and his uncle Howard Holiday, he began painting in his teens and soon developed a distinct style marked by expressive color, hand-carving, and streetwise symbolism.

Holiday’s sculptures and paintings often incorporate pop culture references—such as “Everlast” belts or comic-book graphics—alongside traditional Navajo subjects, offering powerful commentary on cultural resilience and identity. His work has been featured in exhibitions across the Southwest, including the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe and the Autry Museum in Los Angeles.

Today, Holiday is regarded as a leading figure in contemporary Native American art, with a growing collector base and a legacy of pushing creative boundaries while honoring his heritage.