Bio
Michael Horse is an American actor, jeweler and ledger painter best known for his role as Deputy Tommy 'Hawk' Hill in the supernatural television series Twin Peaks, from 1990-1991.
Horse, of Yaqui, Mescalero Apache, Zuni, European and Hispanic descent, was born in a place he calls "near Tucson". He comes from an artistically talented family of jewelers, potters and painters.
As a young boy, he grew up in a cultural rich environment and was taught how important art is to the well being of the human spirit.
As an actor, he has appeared in many movies and on television, including Twin Peaks, Passenger 57, Lakota Woman, and the CBC Canadian series, North of 60.
His works of art have been shown in galleries throughout the world, and are currently available at the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles, the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles, the Eiteljorg Museum in Indiana, Kiva Fine Art Gallery in Santa Fe, and Gathering Tribes Gallery in Albany, California.
Michael learned how to make jewelry from family and other native artists who were kind enough to teach him. He had seen jewelry being made from the time he was a child.
Michael had always been moved by the older kachina jewelry that had been made in the 1940s. These older pieces have inspired him to make amazingly detailed kachina bolos, earrings, and pendants.
During the Southwest Museum's 20 year retrospective of his work, he realised that he had not taken many photos of his work over his career. He had to try to round up pieces from collectors for the show.
Upon seeing the body of his work, he realised the subtle changes it was going through as the years passed. He was also surprised to realise that some of his early work was as interesting as his new work.
Having been a jeweler for over 30 years, he has seen many innovations in traditional Native art. He is very proud of the paths that Native art have taken, as well as the path that it is moving toward with younger artists.
He himself was inspired by some of his peers, including Charles Loloma and Alan Houser, and hopes that some day younger people might learn from and be inspired by some of his work.