I am often asked "who
is the next great thing in Pueblo pottery!?" And up until
now, that was a hard question to answer definitively. My mind
has been made up, howerver, that Johnathan Naranjo has what it
takes to push the envelope of contemporary Native American art
while continuing to preserve the ancient traditions and cultural
heritage that is his family's legacy.
Johnathan has recently garnered
many rewards and recognition and continues to be at the forefront
of the spotlight when it comes to the best in Native American
art.
Born into Santa Clara Pueblo
in 1987, Johnathan Naranjo is the son of Forrest Naranjo and
grandson of Bernice Naranjo. He is one of the next generation
of potters bridging the gap between ancient traditions and contemporary
life.
He began working with clay
early in life and developed his own distinctive style. Johnathan
has also developed a keen sense as to when to pull something
from the fire in order to get a dark brown product rather than
the usual black. Then he uses his sgraffito tools to add a mix
of contemporary and traditional designs.
Because of his firing process,
he can get varying colors in his sgraffito work depending on
the depth of the scratch. In 2013 Johnathan won the Tony Da Award
at the Santa Fe Indian Market for his intricate and innovative
style of pottery.
We're excited to discover
new and young talent who are committed to preserving their cultural
heritage through traditional art forms.
