Family Traditions
Chris Youngblood (Santa Clara)
Visitors to King Galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on June 4 will have the opportunity to see a prize-winning Santa Clara Pueblo potter demonstrate his skills in carving and polishing clay pottery. Chris Youngblood comes from a long line of distinguished potters. He is the greatgrandson of Margaret Tafoya (1904-2001), the grandson of Mela Youngblood (19311990) and the son of Nancy Youngblood. In 2014, he won the top honor for his pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market. An exhibition of his work will continue through June 8.
Youngblood follows the tradition of gathering and preparing his clay, forming, firing and, finally, polishing his black and red ware. He says, “I’ve had generations of people before me who have had to learn the hard way. I’ve had that information given to me without having to go through all the struggles. But, I would say on the flip side, having someone so technically advanced as your teacher (Nancy Youngblood), let alone your mother, it’s hard. The expectations are a lot higher.”
His traditional methods are combined with contemporary design. He explains, “I see my work as trying to keep the traditional values and standards my mom created and pushing it in a more modern direction.”
His pot, Buffalo Spirits, shows his skills in the deep carving Santa Clara pottery is known for, while incorporating a variety of surface textures and contemporary design. Awaiting the Rain displays traditional symbols of inclement weather and the high sheen that results from of hours of careful polishing.