Geometric pattern Santo Domingo pot by Ambrose Atencio. This traditional pot is 8” wide by 4 ½” tall.
Santo Domingo is distinguished from other pottery by its buff color clay, cream slip and bold geometric designs. Santo potters use thick lines and large panels of repeated shapes such as scallops, zigzags and circles that are always balanced. Special attention is given to the negative spaces. Encircling lines have a line break in them.
Ambrose Atencio learned the art of pottery making from his family members who are well established potters. He is related to Hilda Coriz (sister), Arthur Coriz (brother-in-law), Robert Tenorio (uncle) and Ione Coriz (cousin).He gathers and processes the Santo Domingo clay himself. He uses all natural pigments. His pottery is fired outdoors, the traditional way.
About the artist
Ambrose Atencio
Ambrose Atencio was born on June 11, 1963 at Santo Domingo Pueblo. He was raised in a family of respected potters, learning much about the art of making pottery from watching and working with many relatives but he was most influenced by his uncle, master potter Robert Tenorio. He began his pursuit as a serious potter in the 1980s and is now a renowned Santo Domingo potter who creates pottery to preserve the traditional art forms of his ancestors and contribute to their legacy. The quality of his lessons and the years of hard work are reflected in the well-balanced shape of his pots and the fine execution of the traditional Santo Domingo designs that Ambrose chooses to employ. He has developed a distinct flair frequently placing traditional designs in intricate, non-traditional patterns. His style has garnered him not only a large following of collectors but many awards around the country.
Atencio specializes in hand coiled, hand painted traditional Santo Domingo pottery and uses all-natural materials gathered from Santo Domingo Pueblo and constructs each pot by hand, down to the finishing touches that make each pot unique. He hand cleans the clay for impurities, mixes all the natural pigments with water, and begins hand coiling his vessels. Once the pottery is dry he sands the finished product to give it a smooth finish all around the vessel. Ambrose then begins to hand paint his beautiful designs with a stem of a yucca that has been fashioned into a brush.
He creates natural paints from materials such as spinach and honey beeswax and paints traditional bird, flower and geometric designs on the pot’s surface using a yucca brush. He sets his pottery out to dry and then fires his masterpieces the traditional way using cottonwood bark like his grandmother, Crucita Tortalita, did. He is now in the process of teaching his son Elroy to work the clay.
His goal is to produce the largest hand-coiled, pit-fired and traditionally painted polychrome storage jars. His elegant vessels are widely collected and a beautiful representation of traditional Santo Domingo pottery.
He is related to the following artists: Hilda Coriz (sister), Arthur Coriz (late brother-in-law), Robert Tenorio (uncle), and Ione Coriz (cousin). He signs his work: “Ambrose Atencio, KEWA", and the date the pot was created.
