Sarah Arquero, Cochiti Pueblo Potter

Sarah Arquero (b. 1938) is an accomplished Indigenous ceramic artist from Cochiti Pueblo (Ko-Tyit), New Mexico. A respected figure within the world of Southwest Native American art, she carries forward one of the most distinguished artistic lineages in figurative Pueblo pottery.

Heritage & Matrilineal Legacy

Arquero belongs to the prominent Arquero-Cordero family, whose contributions played a vital role in defining 20th-century Cochiti ceramic arts. She was introduced to pottery making by her mother, Damacia Cordero (1905-1989), a renowned matriarch of the mid-century Cochiti figurative revival. Alongside her sisters-celebrated potters Martha Arquero, Josephine Arquero, Marie Laweka, and Gloria Herrera-Sarah inherited a rich, generational knowledge of harvesting native materials and traditional hand-building techniques.

Artistic Technique & Aesthetics

Working strictly with natural Cochiti clay hand-gathered from ancestral pueblo lands, Arquero's work reflects a deep reverence for traditional earthenware methods. Her pieces are hand-coiled and hand-sculpted, then decorated using natural mineral slips and organic paints, such as wild spinach (guaco).

Arquero is best known for her figurative sculptures, including expressive male and female storyteller figures, traditional singers, drummers, and pueblo animal motifs. Characterized by open-mouthed facial expressions-capturing the oral tradition of song and storytelling-her figures embody classic Cochiti proportions, detailed hand-painted garments, and a serene, timeless presence.

Her work stands as a testament to the enduring strength of Pueblo pottery, bridging ancient ceramic traditions with the celebrated narrative sculpture of Cochiti Pueblo.

TAGS: Cochiti Pueblo, Southwest Indian Pottery