About the Artist
The art of Mescalero Apache Oilver Enjady hangs in galleries, museums and private collections. But what many admirers of his artwork don’t know is that for nearly a decade, he’s struggled to regain his emotional footing after the death of one of his sons.
“I lost my son due to suicide and he was one of my critics, someone I would turn to and ask what he thought”, Enjady said during a recent interview as he prepare a portfolio of work to show during the July 4th celebration at the Mescalero ceremonial grounds. “He would walk by and take a peak or stand there and say things. After he left, I still felt that presence and I couldn’t paint. It was quite a journey staying busy with other things.”
Those other things included becoming director of the tribal language program, “for which I feel grateful, because I needed to be busy with something else to stay sane.”
He participated in the PBS “We Shall Remain” series as a consultant and on-screen actor, and did the same on the Ron Howard film “Cowboys and Aliens.” He was involved in some music videos and television documentary series.
“I feel I’ve been blessed with all these experiences, always something new,” he said.