Ivan Lewis, Cochiti Pueblo Potter
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Ivan Lewis (1919-2001) was a distinguished Southwest Indigenous ceramic artist whose life and work represented a unique bridge between two celebrated Pueblo potting traditions: Acoma and Cochiti.
Heritage and Early Life
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Acoma Heritage: Born in 1919 at Acoma Pueblo (Haak'u), Ivan was the son of legendary matriarch Lucy M. Lewis (1902-1992), one of the most celebrated figures in Pueblo pottery history.
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Military Service and Marriage: During World War II, while serving in the U.S. military, Ivan married Rita Lewis (of the renowned Cochiti Cordero family) in 1944.
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Transition to Cochiti: Despite his rich Acoma heritage, Ivan never produced ceramic art while living at Acoma. Following his military service, he settled permanently at his wife's home village of Cochiti Pueblo (Ko-Tyit), where he resided for the rest of his life.
Artistic Style and Repertoire
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Cochiti Adoption (c. 1977): Encouraged by his wife Rita and her family's deep figurative legacy, Ivan began crafting pottery around 1977, adopting the native Cochiti clay, natural mineral slips, and traditional outdoor firing techniques.
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Figurative Specialty: Rather than traditional vessel forms, Ivan specialized in hand-sculpted clay figurines. He became especially famous for his humorous, highly detailed Cochiti cowboys, wild west characters, horse-and-rider figures, and storytellers.
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Signature Aesthetic: His pieces are celebrated for combining classic Cochiti figurative proportions and open-mouthed facial expressions with distinct, hand-painted western attire-such as cowboy hats, boots, bandanas, and holsters.
Family Legacy
Working collaboratively alongside his wife Rita, Ivan passed down this combined ceramic tradition to their daughters, including acclaimed potters Patricia Lewis and Jolene Lewis, cementing the family's standing in Southwestern figurative art.
Reference: Southern Pueblo Pottery: 2,000 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf.
TAGS: Lucy M. Lewis, pottery, Acoma Pueblo, Cochiti Pueblo, Rita Lewis, pottery figurines