William Acheff was born in Anchorage, Alaska, of Georgian, Russian, Scottish, Dutch, and Athabascan Indian ancestry. His artistic passion was kindled while living in the San Francisco Bay area when, at age twenty-two, he studied with artist Roberto Lupetti and moved into his own studio. Restless, he ventured to Taos, New Mexico, in 1971.
Acheff is especially admired for his trompe l’œil (fool the eye) technique, which gives a heightened sense of depth to his highly realistic still lifes of rich Native American artifacts of the past. Typically, he starts with an idea; then in his studio, he carefully arranges objects, which are often drawn from his own collection. The
Pueblo Indians of Taos have provided him with inspiring subjects to depict. “Artifacts and traditions of the past,” he explains, “seem to hold more mystical and aesthetic value than those of contemporary times.”
Acheff has shown in major Western art shows: Western Heritage sale, Artists of America, National Academy of Western Art, The Hubbard Show, Prix de West, and Autry Masters of the American West. He is a two time Prix de West Award winner (1989, 2004) and received the Masters of America West Purchase Award in 1998.
Adapted from http://acheffstudio.com
Website
http://acheffstudio.com
