In 2014, mixed media artist Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo) took a 1985 Chevy El Camino and refurbished it in a matte black-on-black style as an homage to Tewa pottery. She called the hot rod Maria, in honor of the potter Maria Martinez. Now, a decade later, she’s customized another car—this time, a 1964 Buick Riviera—and it will make its debut at San Francisco’s de Young Museum in an exhibition titled Rose B. Simpson: LEXICON.
Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo), Bosque, 2024, 1964 Buick Riviera. Bodywork and customization by artist. Photograph by Kate Russell. Courtesy of the artist and Jessica Silverman, San Francisco and Jack Shainman Gallery.
The seeds of the show started nearly four years ago, when Simpson came to explore the museum with her gallerist. “She walked into our central court, looked around, and said, ‘What if this could all be a vessel?’ That’s really how this project got started,” says Hillary C. Olcott, curator of Arts of the Americas at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
LEXICON will present both Maria and the new car, Bosque, in the de Young’s Wilsey Court against a custom mural also painted by Simpson. “The cars and mural speak to each other—the vessels grounded in the space, with the colors of pueblo pottery rising above,” Olcott says. The cars are so large that they didn’t fit through any existing doors, and a glass wall had to be briefly removed to get them into position in the museum.
Installation view of Rose B. Simpson: LEXICON at the de Young Museum, San Francisco, 2025. Photograph by Gary Sexton. Image courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Bosque pays homage to a different pottery lineage than Maria. “Rose really wanted to honor the polychrome pottery tradition, so the car is full of color with black and red accents,” says Olcott. “She hand-sewed the upholstery in the interior, and she’s added all sorts of beautiful details throughout.”
Maria will also be shown as never before, with a custom lowrider bike in the back, because, as Simpson puts it, “Maria’s in her Mom Era.”
Rose B. Simpson and team working on a 1964 Buick Riviera titled Bosque. Crew: Dylan Madri, Wanda Abeyta and Cele Sena. Photo by Kate Russell. Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Jessica Silverman, San Francisco and Jack Shainman, New York.
Even though automobiles are quite a different medium from clay, for Simpson, they’re all part of the same practice. “Rose sees all of her works as vessels, whether it’s clay or cars,” Olcott explains. “A car is quite literally a vessel, but it also carries the prayers, designs and traditions from her community.”
The mural surrounding the cars is inspired by the colors of the Southwest landscape, as well as the aesthetics of pueblo pottery. “It’s huge and so vibrant,” Olcott describes. “There are terracottas, really beautiful earthy yellows, and this vibrant turquoise that just pops. Because it’s installed high up, it really transforms the space, and it’s honestly super badass.”
Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo), Maria, 2014, 1985 Chevy El Camino. Bodywork and customization by artist. Photograph by Kate Russell. Courtesy of the artist.
LEXICON will be on view for a full year, and Wilsey Court is free to visit. “I hope people are inspired, excited and energized. These cars are so vibrant and alive,” says Olcott. “The Bay Area has such a strong car community, and I’m thrilled for them to connect with the museum through Rose’s work.” —
Through August 2, 2026
Rose B. Simpson: LEXICON
De Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118, (415) 750-3600, www.famsf.org
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