Birdell Bourdon (Vine Flower)

Birdell Bourdon (Tewa name: Vine Flower) is a highly respected contemporary potter from Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. Born into a distinguished family of ceramic artisans, she is the daughter of recognized potter Marie Askan and the granddaughter of noted potter Margaret Naranjo. Immersed in the artistic traditions of her community from an early age, Bourdon learned the exacting, labor-intensive processes of gathering local clay, hand-coiling, deep carving, and stone-polishing directly from her matriarchs.

Bourdon has built a celebrated career specializing in classic Santa Clara blackware, as well as redware. She is particularly known for her incredibly crisp, deep carving and her ability to achieve a flawless, glass-like polish on her vessels. Dedicating her career to the “old ways,” she continues to hand-coil and traditionally fire her work, ensuring that the profound cultural history and technical brilliance of Santa Clara pottery are carried vividly into the modern era. Her elegant, expertly crafted pieces are highly sought after by collectors of fine Native American art. Birdell signs her work as: Birdell, Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico.