De Haven Solimon Chaffins was born in Portsmouth, Virginia and is an enrolled member of Laguna & Zuni Pueblo. She attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM and received an Associate of Fine Arts degree in 1990; in 1995 she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the College of Fine Arts, University of New Mexico.
Most recently, select pieces of her work were a part of a thought provoking traveling exhibition making which made its way throughout the United States. The exhibition entitled, “EXPOSURE: Native Art & Political Ecology is an exhibit supported by the Ford Foundation and the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts, and features Chaffins alongside several other International Indigenous artists.
Currently, she is part of an exhibition entitled, “Grounded In Clay.” One of her images entitled, “Radon Daughter” which was is an abstract image of her daughter is on display at The MET in New York City, NY.
She was also selected to paint a mural in one of the many artists rooms at The Nativo, in Albuquerque, NM
Ms. Chaffins imagery is also registered with the United States Department of Interior Indian Arts & Crafts Board, Washington, D.C.”