Olivas, Jesus

Jesus Olivas Quintana is a potter from the village of Mata Ortiz in northern Mexico. He’s the older brother of Martin Olivas Quintana and Eduardo Olivas Quintana.

As a teenager, Jesus was inspired to make pottery by their uncle, Eduardo Lalo Quintana Rodriguez. Jesus is now known for his white or red clay polychrome jars and vases. You can tell the influence of his uncle through the different colored bands of geometric designs around the opening. If there’s a rolled lip, those bands extend from below that lip to down inside the opening. It’s kind of a Quintana family trademark. Martin’s carved black pieces don’t have the multiple colors but they do have the same bands of geometric designs.

Jesus says he likes to begin his designs by painting red and/or black abstract drawings onto the clay background so they interlock with his lightly carved birds, lizards or fish. Then he likes to add further decoration in the form of Greek and geometric designs until the pot’s surface is fully covered (the Porvenir style).