ROBERTO OLIVAS

HEIGHT 10"

CIRCUMFERENCE 22"

The cuts on this piece give it a special touch and elegance.

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.