Crafted by Hand, Guided by Ancestors
Wingapo!
Desmond “A’siiMost Moskwaa” Ellsworth (he/him) is a Nansemond artist based in Tsenacommacah (Virginia). His love for creating Native art began early, sparked by finding pottery shards and arrowheads near the old reservation shared by his ancestral communities, the Nansemond and Nottoway.
As a youth, he shaped clay vessels and wove pine needle baskets, exploring traditional forms in his own way. But it wasn’t until after graduating from Norfolk State University with a degree in computer science in 2016 that he began focusing on the traditional Southeastern basketry practiced by his ancestors — the Nansemond, Saponi/Tutelo, Nottoway, Tuscarora, and Meherrin.
Since then, he has worked hard to grow his skills and has been blessed to receive recognition at the Cherokee Nation Trail of Tears Art Show, the Southeast Native American Art Market, and the Museum of the Southeast American Indian’s 9|9 Art Show. His baskets have found homes with private collectors and are also part of the collections at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Jamestown Settlement Museum.
What matters most to him, though, is sharing. He loves showing people how baskets are made, talking about their history, and teaching how tightly they’re woven to the environment we live in. For him, every basket carries memories, resilience, and the voice of his ancestors — and every time he weaves, he is continuing a story much bigger than himself