Gallegos, Hector Sr

Hector Gallegos Esparza learned how to make pottery from his wife, Graciela Martinez de Gallegos. She had learned the craft from their neighbor, Armando Rodriguez, who lived just north of their home in Barrio Americano in the village of Mata Ortiz in northern Mexico.

At first Graciela was experimenting with simple figures, then Armando taught her to make pots. From there she moved into making wedding vases, urns and long-necked vessels with clay animals on them.

Hector does most of the painting, adding cuadrillos (checkerboard patterns), serpents, butterflies and other Paquimé Revival and Mimbres designs. In the early days of their collaboration, Hector would do the painting but Graciela did all the signing. Then Hector started making his own pots from start to finish and began signing his own name.

Like most of the men in Mata Ortiz, Hector would rather be on horseback tending to his cattle but the team of Hector and Graciela have gotten really good, and efficient: their pottery business brings in more than 95% of their annual income.