Lonnie Vigil
TRUTHSAYERS
Lonnie Vigil prefers rolling his coils in his hands rather than on the table. He likes it when his puki bowls and baskets leave their marks on the bottom of his pots. The lips of his vessels, in shimmering brown or black, break symmetry, slope, or flare. Finding his own language in the traditions of Pueblo pottery, his vessels are distinctly his own and have transformed their role from merely utilitarian objects to highly collected prized works of art. Vigil is a potter who lives and works from the land of the six Tewa Pueblos, located around the Rio Grande north of O’Ga P’Ogeh Owingeh, or present-day Santa Fe. For him and his people, the land is a sacred bounty. Vigil once tried to leave but was called back by the Clay Mother Spirit.
Though his great-grandmother and great-aunts were potters, his relationship to clay was at first only peripheral; he quietly taught himself in secret, and this journey of self-discovery turned into an enriching lifelong pursuit. Among the top awards at the Santa Fe Indian Art Market, Best in Show is perhaps the biggest honor for Native artists nationwide. These prizes are commemorated with ribbons that, for many, are far more prestigious than, for example, having work exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vigil has been bestowed both—a testament to the gift from his ancestors and the land.
B. 1949, Nambé Pueblo, NM
Lives and works in Nambé Pueblo, NM
SM9693
Many Blessings, 2020, Micaceous clay, 15" (H) x 18.5" (D). Courtesy of the artist, photography by R & Company.
SM9694
Noir, 2021, Micaceous clay. 12" (H) x 11.5" (D). Courtesy of the artist, photography by R & Company.
SM9695
Generosity, 2021, Micaceous clay. 7" (H) x 13" (D). Courtesy of the artist, photography by R & Company.