Victoriano, LaDonna

LaDonna Victoriano was born at Acoma Pueblo in October 1968. Her parents were Michael and Pamela Victoriano. Pamela is a painter and you might see some of her influence in the designs LaDonna paints, but LaDonna is a self-taught potter. She’s been producing pottery for more than 10 years now. Her sisters Danielle and Billie and brother Byron are also potters.

LaDonna has participated in exhibitions of her pottery at Lexington University and William & Lee University. She was also an invited participant in several Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival benefits for the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe.

LaDonna says she gets her inspiration from walking in the world and seeing leaves, trees, clouds and ancient pot sherds. She usually carries a sketch pad with her and makes drawings of things she finds interesting. One thing we found interesting: LaDonna says that when she’s working, she loves to put on loud heavy metal music “so no one bothers me while I’m working.”

LaDonna generally signs her pieces with: Buuraik’a Haaku and a butterfly icon (the B is part of the butterfly, buuraik’a means butterfly in Western Keres, the native tongue of Acoma Pueblo, Haaku means Acoma).