Olivas, Ivonne

Born and raised in the village of Mata Ortiz in northern Mexico, Ivonne Olivas learned to make pottery from her uncle, Juan Quezada Sr. (the direct family relationship is through Juan’s wife, Guillermina). She sold her first piece of her own pottery in 1997 when she was only 14 years old.

Ivonne is married now and her husband makes most of her pots. She paints on the lines of her design and he fills them in. Most of the pottery they make is white-on-terra cotta clay. Her designs are very much in the Quezada-style with plenty of white-space among the flowing curves.