I, Ephraim Anderson also known as (Zefren-m), am a Native American multi-disciplined artist based out of the southwestern United States of America. I belong to the Navajo Nation and have spent the last 4 decades continuing the traditions taught to me by my grandparents. I grew up in the eighties wearing clothes from the seventies and lived like it was the mid century Navajo nation. My formative creative mind was influenced by the esthetics of post war design, functional survival while listening to the best military marches and scratchy music 78 rpm records.  Both grandmothers instilled the core domestic arts of their youth cooking, farming, sheep raising, sewing and weaving. I learned how to maintain machinery, and working in the fields and dealing with society from my grandfather.

                I went to college at University of New Mexico after graduating Navajo Preparatory School in 2001. When in Albuquerque I volunteered heavily with M-Powerment Project a peer based HIV/STI prevention program and worked among my fellow LGBT+ community. After spending 8 years off reservations living on my own I returned to Shiprock to become the primary care giver for my Father whose just recently turned 75 years old.

                While home I reconnected with Navajo culture and by 2016 started a journey to learn as much as i could from the many weaving elders across Dinétah. I’m familiar with living and herding sheep between our winter and summer camps of the banks of the San Juan River and the canyons of little Shiprock wash. Roy was skilled at mountain and foothill living of the Carrizzo and Chuska mountains. Through the experiences and guidance of Roy I entered the Heard Museum guild Indian Market and fair (Heard Indian Market) and the Southwestern Association of Indian Arts (SWAIA) in 2017. After spending two years his Roy I joined the Navajo Cultural Arts program and earned my certificate in Navajo weaving in 2019. During this Co-hort I studied and was mentored by Weaver Ilene Nagle, Silversmiths Wilson Arnolith Jr. and Lyndon Tsosie. There are all master in their respective careers and I value all the knowledge that was exchanged and sought by all.

                Then the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the Navajo Nation in the spring of 2020 and suddenly I found myself helping and advising new farmers on how I remember it being done and donated time to the various food drops that happened during the subsequent lock downs. Despite shaving my hair and wearing 19^th century PPE I caught Covid-19 through the healthcare system. Fortunately my Father did not get infected. I fought Covid-19 when there was no vaccine, Paxlovid, oxygen, or no room at the hospital. Covid on the Navajo Nation interview with Zefren.  The after effects of surviving this caused me to focused back on to my art and class work as I was able to finally continue my college education. I’m currently a junior at Dine College seeking my bachelor’s in fine arts with an emphasis on Navajo Silversmithing.