Cochiti Pueblo

 

Martha Arquero was born in 1944 into the Cochiti Pueblo. She has been making pottery sculptures since the late 1960’s. Martha was inspired to continue the family tradition of clay sculpting by her Mother, Damacia Cordero. Damacia taught her daughter all the fundamentals of clay sculpting that her Mother taught her.

Martha specializes in handmade clay sculptures like mermaids, frog storytellers, nativity’s, and traditional storytellers. She uses all natural pigments to hand coil her sculptures. Martha gathers her clay from the hills nearby her home. She learned how to clean, soak, mix, shape, sand the sculpture for the right texture, and fire her sculpture the traditional way, outdoors. The colors Martha uses on her sculptures are also made from natural vegetables and minerals that Mother Earth provides for her. Martha signs her sculptures as: Martha Arquero, Cochiti.
Martha is related to the following artists: Josephine Arquero, and Marie Laweka (sisters).

Awards:
-Santa Fe Indian Market 2nd Place
-Santa Fe Indian Market 1st Place 1984

Publications:
-Storytellers and Other Figurative Pottery
-The Pueblo Storyteller
-Collections of Southwestern Pottery
-Talking with the Clay
-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies