“Hands On! The Sculpture of Michael Naranjo” opens Sunday at the Butler Institute of American Art.

Naranjo is a Native American sculptor (a member of the Tewa tribe) from New Mexico. While serving in the Vietnam War, he was blinded by a grenade and also lost the use of his right hand. During his recuperation, he asked a hospital volunteer for some modeling clay and crafted a small figure.

Naranjo’s mother was a well-known potter, and as a child he would make small animals with clay while his mother worked.

Naranjo’s professional work often features narratives of his childhood — native dances, eagles, buffaloes, women carrying water — but he also sculpts mythical creatures like mermaids and centaurs as well as cherubs and nudes.

For more than 40 years, Naranjo has sculpted stories from clay, using his left hand and no tools. He has received many awards, including the Distinguished Achievement Award from the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and the LIFE Foundation’s Presidential Unsung Hero Award. His work is included in collections in the Heard Museum, the White House and the Vatican.

According to Butler Executive Director Louis A. Zona, “Michael Naranjo is an inspiration in every sense of the word. Given the cross that he has been given, the word ‘inspiration’ is just not powerful enough to describe the challenges this remarkable artist has overcome.

The exhibition will be on display through Sept. 22 at the Butler, 524 Wick Ave., Youngstown. A meet-the-artist reception is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, and Naranjo will give a gallery talk at 2 p.m.

Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, go to butlerart.com or call 330-743-1107.

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