Mata Ortiz Pottery on Display at Santa Fe Shop

The Santa Fe Shop in Fish Creek is currently displaying traditional Mata Ortiz pottery by artist Antonio Ledezma.

The village of Mata Ortiz in Northern Chihuahua, Mexico is famous for continuing a native art movement inspired by traditions that had died out around the time of the Spanish Conquest. From the wealth of pottery fragments left by their ancestors, the villagers of Mata Ortiz taught themselves through trial and error and finally mastered the ancient craft.

Today the villagers of Mata Ortiz, including Ledezma, create pots that are formed and painted by hand using only local clays and mineral colors. The pots are also made without the benefit of a potter’s wheel, kiln or commercial tools and materials. From such humble beginnings emerge not only extraordinary art pieces, but new possibilities for contemporary design inspired by a culture whose roots reach back a thousand years.

The Santa Fe Shop is located at 4147 Main Street in Fish Creek. For more information call 920.868.4300.