Silveira, Goyo

Gregorio Goyo Silveira Hernandez is the husband of Gloria Hernandez of Mata Ortiz. Back on the 1980s, Gloria and her sister-in-law, Socorro Sandoval, slowly figured out how to make pottery on their own. When Gloria’s pottery started to make money, Goyo was called on to help. He was available, too, as there was a severe drought happening in the area at the time.

At first Goyo was just helping with polishing or slipping or filling in between the lines. Then he learned how to do the whole process on his own.

Today, Goyo works mostly on his own but sometimes collaborates with Gloria. They taught their son Goyin Silveira how to make pottery, too, and his work is earning ribbons regularly.

In 2020 a white polychrome piece of Goyo’s earned the First Place prize in that category at the annual Concurso Ceramica de Mata Ortiz. In 2016 he’d earned the First Place prize in the Traditional color, with or without design category at the Concurso.