Featuring pottery work by premier Native American artists, is the popular group show hosted annually by King Galleries, occurring alongside Santa Fe Indian Market. This year’s show, Remarkable, earned its title because “it’s a remarkable moment to have such a diverse and important group of Native artists together in one gallery, in one afternoon, with creative, new work,” says gallery owner Charles King.
Santiago Romero (Cochiti Pueblo), Blue Light, native clay, acrylic
The show features an impressive range of work by artists both younger and emerging, along with more established artists. This list includes Tammy Garcia (Santa Clara Pueblo), Les Namingha (Hopi-Tewa/Zuni Pueblo), Autumn Borts-Medlock (Santa Clara Pueblo), Stephanie Tafoya (Santa Clara Pueblo), Jeff Suina (Cochiti Pueblo), Jared Tso (Navajo (Diné)), Daniel Begay (Navajo (Diné)/Santa Clara Pueblo), Robert Patricio (Acoma Pueblo), Dolores Curran (Santa Clara Pueblo), Santiago Romero (Cochiti Pueblo), Susan Folwell (Santa Clara Pueblo), Chase Kahwinhut Earles (Caddo), Kwani Povi Winder (Santa Clara Pueblo) and Mavasta Honyouti (Hopi).
Newer to the pottery scene is Santiago Romero, also known for his abstract landscapes and contemporary ceramic sculpture. “I am a clay person and have worked in ceramic sculpture for over a decade, but Pueblo pottery is a different creature,” the artist says. “Pottery breaks down to even simpler bricks. The foundations are what we rely on, so there’s more truth involved.”
Les Namingha (Hopi-Tewa/Zuni), Red Top Abstraction, native clay, acrylic
Romero attributes his inspiration and guiding force in pottery—and his show piece Blue Light—to his great grandmother Teresita Romero. “She was an artist and pottery maker from Cochiti and got some notoriety during that time,” he adds. “I am convinced she helps correct my mistakes as I am building, or helps me think of the process through her hands.”
The idea for the title Blue Light came from a combination of namesakes from Romero’s various tribes. My grandfather from Taos gave me the name Blue Cloud Hawk when I was born, and my Indian name from Cochiti is Lightning. So, I like to mix both together and look at the metaphors between them.”
Nancy Youngblood (Santa Clara Pueblo), Jar with 58 Shells, and Avanyu and Shells Box, native clay
Romero adds that the title of the piece suggests a color he often overlooks. “It is a color that surrounds us all,” he says. “In my mind, it is circular. It is a process of light very different from lightning or sunsets or beams. It is a protective force that surrounds us and circulates the movement of our planet. It is an external womb. It is the water, it is the mountains, it is the sky, it is in everything we see.”
In the work of Les Namingha, one of the more established potters in the show, we see a merging of different styles that include traditional Pueblo designs and geometric abstraction, with emotional responses to everyday experiences and stimuli, like music. “While my ceramic work is generally rooted in the concepts and techniques of Pueblo pottery-making, my compositions are unique and unconventional,” he says. “The process of using acrylic and mixed media on the clay’s surface allows me to be creative in designing while working with an unlimited color palette.”
Steve Lucas (Hopi-Tewa), Katsina Faces, native clay
Namingha’s show piece Red-Top Abstraction, illustrates his approach to the painting process. “The initial concept was to explore how a vivid shade of red interacts within a composition,” says the artist. “As with most of my work, my process revolves around problem-solving, and balancing the interplay of colors and elements…The geometric elements, looping lines and colors surrounding the jar interact with one another, all set against a grid-like structure. The spike-like forms rising from the base either support the geometric elements, keeping them afloat, or stand ready to pierce the falling fragments. The viewer is invited to interpret the outcome.”
Chris Youngblood (Santa Clara Pueblo) and Jennifer Tafoya (Santa Clara Pueblo), Ancient Encounters, native clay All images courtesy King Galleries.
Visit King Galleries in Santa Fe on August 15 to see the entirety of the show. It will hang through August 18, with a special viewing to celebrate the clay art of Nancy Youngblood from 2 to 3 p.m. on the opening day. The artist will be in attendance. —
King Galleries
April 15-18, 2025
130 Lincoln Avenue, Suite D, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (480) 440-3912, www.kinggalleries.com
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