Ray Garcia

Ray was born into a San Felipe family of potters and jewelers in June 1966. As a young boy, he pulled his little wagon to the south side of the pueblo to collect clay with his grandmother to use in the creation of her pots (her name was Maria Chavez). Along the way she would tell him stories about the animals and the insects, stories which he incorporates in his pottery today. Ray’s grandmother instilled in him the love of making pottery as she taught him how to mold the different clays and when to touch and when not to touch the delicate pots. It’s in that feeling of the clay that Ray feels his connection today.

Ray’s interest in traditional arts began at the age of ten. He worked with family members producing turquoise and heishi necklaces to wear for special San Felipe Pueblo cultural events and also to sell to bring in money for the family. At sixteen, Ray was introduced to silverwork by his mother, a silversmith in the pueblo. She taught him different methods of working silver including inlay, tufa casting, and overlay.

As he sits and works with clay, Ray says he becomes the clay: it is an extension of him. In his words: “I put all of myself into each pot and, in this way, each is a unique experience all in itself and to itself. I know the peace and comfort that my grandmother felt when working with her pots and now I share my dreams and visions, expressed through my pottery, to be experienced by all.”