Marcella Yepa
“Welcome! As a potter from Jemez Pueblo, I’m proud to be part of a long tradition of handmade pottery, and to work with pot styles that have been passed from generation to generation of the Jemez people.
“I learned traditional hand coiling, stone polishing and firing methods from my family before me, and use these skills every day to work with the clay. Each piece is an opportunity to explore new possibilities and create something beautiful.
“Pottery is the way of my life. I was raised to create beautiful works of art, and I plan to work on pottery for as long as I can.”
- Marcella Yepa, Jemez, New Mexico
Marcella Yepa uses natural clays and paints. She was taught by her mother Ida Yepa. Marcella specializes in hand coiled contemporary swirl and melon styled pottery. She hand coils many shapes and sizes of pottery such as wedding vases, ollas and traditional shapes. She signs her pottery: M. Yepa, Jemez or Marcella Yepa, Jemez. She is related to Emma Yepa (cousin) and Lawrence Yepa.
Marcella Yepa, member of the Sun Clan, is a full blooded Native American Indian. She was born into the Jemez Pueblo in 1964.
Marcella began working with clay at the age of 19. She was inspired to learn the art of working with clay from her aunt, Alvina Yepa. Alvina shared with Marcella all the fundamentals of hand coiling traditional pottery.
She also taught her which hills provided the best clay to work with and special techniques to construct her art. The lucrative aspect also inspired Marcella to become an artisan. However, establishing her own unique style of art gave her a feeling of self worth.
Marcella specializes in hand coiled contemporary swirl and melon styled pottery.
She gathers her clay and other natural pigments within the Jemez Pueblo. She soaks the clay, grinds it to a powder form, cleans the clay, hand mixes, hand coils, shapes, carves the pottery, polishes her pottery with a stone, and fires her pottery outdoors with cedar chips. She hand coils many shapes and sizes of pottery like wedding vases, ollas, and traditional shapes.
She gathers her clay and other natural pigments within the Jemez Pueblo. She soaks the clay, grinds it to a powder form, cleans the clay, hand mixes, hand coils, shapes, carves the pottery, polishes her pottery with a stone, and fires her pottery outdoors with cedar chips. She hand coils many shapes and sizes of pottery like wedding vases, ollas, and traditional shapes.
She signs her pottery as: M. Yepa, Jemez, or Marcella Yepa, Jemez.
