“For the past year, I’ve been on a personal mission to paint the last remaining Navajo Code Talkers here on the Navajo Nation. Since moving to New Mexico in 2017, I’ve been especially inspired by their legacy and the unique place it holds in American history. Documenting their stories and preserving their memory through painting has been a powerful experience.” –David Kassan
John Kinsel was one of the last living Navajo code talkers. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1942 and served in the 9th Marine Regiment and 3rd Marine Regiment in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Code talkers used their knowledge of the Navajo (Diné) language to create an unbreakable code for U.S. forces to communicate during crucial missions in World War II. To commemorate their service, President Ronald Reagan established August 14 as Navajo Code Talkers Day, which is still a state holiday in Arizona and in the Navajo Nation. After the war, John Kinsel returned to the Navajo reservation near Lukachukai, Arizona. He passed away on October 19 at 107 years old.
To honor him as well as Indigenous History Month, we are proud to bring you this stunning portrait by Albuquerque-based artist David Kassan. David says, “I like to paint survivors. I like to tell their stories.”
Back when he was still living in Brooklyn, David painted a series of portraits of Holocaust survivors. That collection, Facing Survival, is currently on exhibit at the Holocaust Museum Houston through January 2025. When he moved to Albuquerque in 2017, someone familiar with those portraits suggested he do the same for the Navajo code talkers, especially while the last three were still living. Thus began David’s journey with John Kinsel, the first portrait of this series.
We talked about this via phone on Veterans Day, fittingly enough.
To get to know Kinsel and get permission to do the painting, David joined his friend Loren Anthony in a local organization, Chizh for Cheii (Diné for “firewood for grandpa”), that delivers firewood to all the elders in the Navajo Nation. “I went out into the woods and chopped down trees and cut firewood for him,” he recalls. They hung out and talked some, then David returned two weeks later to split and stack the firewood—and take photographs for the painting.
When asked about how he approaches the work, David says, “My approach to painting, especially when capturing individuals like John Kinsel, combines extensive research and time spent with the subject when possible. I begin by immersing myself in their story, often through photos, interviews, and any historical context. In my paintings, I aim to honor both the physical likeness and the deeper, intangible essence—their strength, resilience, and the spirit that defines them. I want viewers to feel a connection, almost as if they could sit across from these incredible individuals and hear their stories firsthand.”
Part of what makes the painting so striking is how the man and the land are so indelibly interrelated, with each complementing and reinforcing the other. Then there is also the incredible detail in the portrait itself.
“Capturing likeness is about observing the nuances—the specific curve of a smile or the intensity in the eyes,” David says. “Essence, though, is conveyed by how those physical details relate to the subject’s personal journey. For someone like John Kinsel, it’s essential to capture both the bravery he displayed as a code talker and the humble dignity he holds today.”
The painting featured here is actually the initial study, and the official portrait itself is currently underway.
As for the title of the finished portrait, David says, “I’m leaning toward a title that resonates with John’s legacy, like The Last Code or Keeper of Words. I want the title to evoke his unique role and contribution to history.”
The series will conclude with portraits of the other two remaining code talkers, Thomas Begay and Peter MacDonald.
David also hired a videographer to come out and follow all of this for a forthcoming documentary. His nonprofit, the Kassan Foundation, is covering most of the cost but they are still looking for other partners.
Artist’s website: davidkassan.com
