Virgil
Ortiz
Ceramicist and DesignerCochiti Pueblo, NM
2007 USA Fellow
This award was generously supported by the Target Corporation.
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Virgil Ortiz is a pioneer who blends exquisitely made ceramic forms that evoke his Cochiti heritage with inspired decorative surfaces and narrative scenes. The artist employs expressionistic brushwork, gestural line, and bold geometric pattern to create objects of stunning energy and intrigue that combine social commentary with soulful gravity. He maintains a studio and gallery in Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico.
Portrait photo courtesy Mitchell Hanna.
Jar with Pueblo Design, 2006, native clay, wild spinach, and native clay slip; photo courtesy Bill Faust