ROBERTO OLIVAS

Height 11"

Circumference 24.5"

Very detailed traditional design with long carved curved lines on a terracota color of clay.

About the artist:

I found Roberto working in his home while his wife was expecting their second baby. He was carving a big white clay pot with a sharp tool he made for this purpose. The design he carves is curved and features geometrical lines. On the not carved surfaces he paints intricate designs using manganese and iron oxide, minerals he gets from the surroundings of Mata Ortiz just like they get their different colors of clay.

"I didn´t start to carve this way, it was Tavo Silveira", he answers when I inquire about this innovation. This speaks volumes of his humbleness and honesty. A very shy man, he doesn’t show his feelings but pours them into the beautiful pieces he forms, carves and paints.

 He was 16 years old when he started to create pots, and does not recall someone actually teaching him how to do them, but he remembers his mother Agapita, who passed away, creating pots.

Now that the baby is born and he has two children to raise and many pots to do, we’ll just keep on enjoying the beauty he forms with his hands and the pride and care he puts into them.