The son of a Navajo father and a Choctaw mother, Anselm G. Davis, Jr. was born at home at Lukachukai, Arizona, a small community within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation. His father, Anselm G. Davis, Sr., was born at Lukachukai, Arizona, and his mother, Aileen Ben Davis, was born at Standing Pine, Mississippi. Anselm is half Navajo (Dine’) and half Choctaw (Chahta). Anselm, who is the 6th oldest child of the 12 children Davis family, is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.

Anselm, who has a doctorate in educational administration from the Pennsylvania State University, has worked throughout his career in various educational fields at the local and national level. While Anselm’s educational and career pursuits required tasks that involved left brain logic, language and analytical thinking, Anselm was always open to right brain expressive and creative tasks, which he used as a vehicle not only to explore mathematics, science, and technology but also to explore spirituality and life itself.

As teenagers, Anselm and his brother, the late Ralph U. Davis, explored various aspects of the arts and craft world at a rudimentary level. As they grew older, they used their creative talents in concert with there educational background in mathematics, science and technology to craft items in a number of mediums, which included woodworking, graphic arts, leather craft, silkscreen and God’s Eyes. The construction of complex God Eyes lead to their exploration of mandalas in general and in mandalas in North American Indian cultural art and ceremonies. The result of this effort lead to the creation of American Indian mandalas that are not only distinctive in expression of color and geometric patterns but also reflected their professional and personal orientation.

By studying the concept of mandalas (especially from a Native American perspective) as geometric designs intended to symbolize the universe, Anselm strives to stay connected to his Native American circular roots through the exploration of mandala imagery, which also serves as a means to an expanded way of thinking. Anselm’s American Indian Mandala creations are beautiful and colorful work of art and have been exhibited in prominent art shows locally and nationally

As an American Indian Mandala Artist, Anselm continuously explores the circle nature of mandalas and the spiritual association of mandalas: “The power to see and understand things unknown.”