Artist’s statement
“I try to utilize what I have learned about fashion design by using lines, curves and pleats in my clay sculptures. This creates movement and brings life to the pieces.”
The artist
Born on the Zuni Pueblo, Alan Lasiloo moved to Santa Fe to attend the Institute of American Indian Arts. He took a pottery class at the institute, learning to work with the shiny micaceous clay of Northern New Mexico. He continued his education at the American College for the Applied Arts in Los Angeles where he studied fashion design. When he returned to the pueblo in 1999, he taught himself how to use the white clay of Zuni that he saw his grandmother use before she died. By incorporating principles of fashion design with his experimentation in form and firing techniques, Alan has produced award-winning ceramics. He first entered his work to be judged at Santa Fe’s Indian Market in 2007. The resulting blue and gold ribbons have made him a rising ceramics artist whose works are sought by many collectors.
The pottery
The white clay of the Zuni Pueblo has taken on a whole new look under the skilled hands of Alan Lasiloo. In his early efforts, Alan made many “mistakes,” but he worked with the results, transforming what some would consider errors into beautiful features of his designs. One of his innovations has given his white clay works a tactile, silky sheen. Other innovations involve firing techniques. For instance, Alan has found ways to enhance streaking, transforming a common firing mistake into an appealing part of his designs.
Alan also continues to make micaceous clay pieces. These emphasize painted images, despite the difficulty of painting on the porous micaceous clay. Alan says the images require six or more coats of paint and “a steady hand.”
“I try to utilize what I have learned about fashion design by using lines, curves and pleats in my clay sculptures. This creates movement and brings life to the pieces.”
The artist
Born on the Zuni Pueblo, Alan Lasiloo moved to Santa Fe to attend the Institute of American Indian Arts. He took a pottery class at the institute, learning to work with the shiny micaceous clay of Northern New Mexico. He continued his education at the American College for the Applied Arts in Los Angeles where he studied fashion design. When he returned to the pueblo in 1999, he taught himself how to use the white clay of Zuni that he saw his grandmother use before she died. By incorporating principles of fashion design with his experimentation in form and firing techniques, Alan has produced award-winning ceramics. He first entered his work to be judged at Santa Fe’s Indian Market in 2007. The resulting blue and gold ribbons have made him a rising ceramics artist whose works are sought by many collectors.
The pottery
The white clay of the Zuni Pueblo has taken on a whole new look under the skilled hands of Alan Lasiloo. In his early efforts, Alan made many “mistakes,” but he worked with the results, transforming what some would consider errors into beautiful features of his designs. One of his innovations has given his white clay works a tactile, silky sheen. Other innovations involve firing techniques. For instance, Alan has found ways to enhance streaking, transforming a common firing mistake into an appealing part of his designs.
Alan also continues to make micaceous clay pieces. These emphasize painted images, despite the difficulty of painting on the porous micaceous clay. Alan says the images require six or more coats of paint and “a steady hand.”