Acoma pottery artist Sandra Victorino has been creating since the 1980s, upholding family and Native American pottery traditions past down from generations. While Victorino started out creating simple yet unique designs for her coil-built seed vases, she’s most known today for her intricate, black-and-white geometric designs—or “op-art,” as in optical art—that cover the entirety of her vessels. The complexity of these pieces speaks to Victorino’s care and attention, and her desire to leave her collectors with something truly special.
Grouping of vases and pots, native clay and slip.
“In the family tradition—from generation to generation—my mother, grandmother and aunts, did pottery,” Victorino explains. “We all had to work together to get the items we needed to create. This included [harvesting] the clay, and the grandpas or dads would grind the clay. We had our tribal traditions, like Feast Days, once or twice or a year, and we would make pottery for these times. Other people would learn how to make pottery for this as well.”
Victorino says that her desire to perfect her pottery inspired her take her work further, along with her family and kids. “I have my own style and design that reflects me and my family—my trademark,” she adds. “A long time ago, I did a lot of large pieces and would sell them in Albuquerque, like once a month, to make my own money to help my kids with school and to help out the household.”
Polychrome jar, 2025, decorated with geometric design, 5¾ x 5¾ x 4¾ in.
Polychrome tear drop jar with an organic opening, 2026, native clay decorated with a spiraling fine line and geometric design, 5¾ x 5¾ x 6¾ in.
The artist was greatly influence by her aunt, Dorothy Torivio, who she says was like her “godmother of pottery.” She told Sandra, “You need to really start doing this,” and then taught her how to expose he work, how to set up for art shows, and how to explain to collectors how and where her work was made. “She was mentor and teacher, but she had her style, and I had my own,” Victorino adds.
As for Victorino’s painted designs, created with yucca brushes and slip often made of ground hematite and wild spinach, the artist says she likes to use combinations of old, traditional designs and her personal “trademark” or what people know her for, including the black-and-white checkerboard patterns and other complex designs. “When creating,” she says, “I think about what people would like to have in their home and hand down from family to family. I think about how to design my pottery and create a nice, beautiful design they will appreciate in their life and home. I’m proud of these pieces going somewhere special and to inspire other people. [I’m interested] in what they see and how they see it.”
A grouping of seed vases, native clay and slip.
Another important element to Victorino’s work is the intensive yet traditional process of gathering materials for pottery making. “We go up to Acoma to the mesa where there’s a ground pit a half a mile from where the cliffs are,” the artist explains. “We climb the side of the mountain, and we pray and thank Mother Earth for the clay we’re going to take to make our art and pottery. Then we dig the hard clay and bag it. I still do this today.” Victorino also makes her own slip and yucca brushes for the design application.
More than anything, family appears to be at the heart of everything Victorino does. She shares that when her aunt questioned how long she could keep making her own art, Victorino made her a promise: “I’m going to take up after you if anything should happen to any of us, support each other and keep the tradition going for years to come, and make sure others know how we made our work.”
Black on white jar with a kiva step cut opening, 2026, native clay decorated with a checkerboard, kiva step and geometric design, 5 x 5 x 4 in.
Polychrome jar, 2025, native clay decorated with a four panel fine line, checkerboard, kiva step and geometric design, 5¾ x 5¾ x 4¾ in.
Victorino has passed some of this knowledge down already, supporting the pottery of her son, Cletus Junior Victorino. She speaks very highly of his work, and is forever thankful to him for his assistance with her own work and process.
After a five-year hiatus, during which Victorino was dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis and the passing of her husband, she is currently back to creating. Collector’s will find Victorino and a mix of large and small seed pots, many with her trademark designs, at the 2026 Santa Fe Indian Market. In the past, Victorino has achieved Best of Show at Indian Market, among many additional ribbons, awards and achievements at a variety of events and festivals. —
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View and purchase her work at Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit the website at www.andreafisherpottery.com.
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