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Lot description
Virgil Ortiz (Born 1969) Pueblo, Modernist Cochiti Monos Figural Sculptural Pottery. Depicts a figure with a surprised expression, their body an abstract mass with iridescence and white drizzle complementing the orange clay base. Signed and dated on the underside. Size: 5 x 5 x 1 in. Virgil Ortiz (Born 1969) is a celebrated artist from Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico, renowned for blending traditional pottery with high fashion and futuristic storytelling. Born into a distinguished family of potters, he learned the craft from his mother, Seferina Ortiz, and won his first Santa Fe Indian Market award at just 14 years old. He is best known for his “revivalist” take on 19th Century Cochiti figurative pottery (monos), often drawing parallels between ancestral body art and modern social scenes. A major focus of his work is educating the public on the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, which he reinterprets as a “sci-fi” saga influenced by Star Wars. By combining ancient techniques with ultramodern imagery, Ortiz creates a unique aesthetic that he uses to engage younger generations with Indigenous history, and his multifaceted career has earned him prestigious honors, including the 2022 Living Treasure Award from the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. His work is in numerous permanent collections, including the National Museum of the American Indian, Albuquerque Museum, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and more.