Sculpting Living Treasures,
Roxanne Swentzell

By Rebekah Powers | May 2024

Born into one of the most innovative lineages of pottery makers from Santa Clara Pueblo, Roxanne Swentzell says her mother gave her a piece of clay when she was 3 years old and from then on, she has used this medium as a form of communication. She struggled to use words as a child, so clay became an instrument to express her needs as well as her feelings. Small clay people personified Roxanne’s thoughts as she embodied the deeply held Pueblo beliefs about pottery making and their respect for the clay as a gift from the earth, for which there is also an inherent responsibility.

In her masterful bronze, “Pottery Maker”, Swentzell represents the female potter with 2 of her creations. The delight in her face and the gentle holding of the pieces with both her hand and her foot show her connection to her creations as if they are her own children. Pueblo potters believe that the pieces they create are sentient beings, living treasures reflected in the face of their maker. And, as a good story would have it, one of the many awards given to Roxanne Swentzell is the Living Treasure Award.

The break out success of her sculpture lies in the breath of sincerity that animates her work. She challenges norms, body image and lets her work speak for her in the powerful language of shared humanity. She also finds a balance between opposites, a plateau of understanding where people can come together with empathy and respect for one another. She has learned her craft through clay, but the culmination of her career comes in bronze.

Meet one of her living treasures in our vast adobe showroom where this delightful bronze sculpture holds space for a wordless conversation between you and the artist, Roxanne Swentzell, now at Chimayo Trading.

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#1 Saint Francis Church Plaza
Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557

575.758.0504

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Contact us directly to discuss and evaluate your collection. If you’re an artist, contact us about the possibility of selling your art on consignment or direct wholesale purchase.

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