Tafoya, Ray

Ray Tafoya (1956-1994) was the son of Tonita and Paul Tafoya, grandson of Severa and Cleto Tafoya of Santa Clara Pueblo.

Ray and his brother, Ken, were avid outdoorsmen and fly fishermen. They combined that with searching out new deposits and colors of clay. As Ray put it, they “were looking for the Rainbow in the Earth.” They found pieces of petrified wood, old bone fragments and shattered quartz crystals but they also found good deposits of yellow, blue and red clays. After they processed those clays, they used them as slips on pieces made of buff-colored base clay.

Ray’s wife Emily (Suazo) made most of the miniature seed pots that Ray would slip, fire, then etch (sgraffito) to make his signature products. Sometimes he would go further and paint again, then fire again. He fired some of his pieces three times before he was satisfied.

Ray mostly made miniature sgraffito blackware with polychrome highlights. He made a few larger jars, too, and he made some silver jewelry. He was a participant at Santa Fe Indian Market from 1982 to 1993 and earned several ribbons there. Ray’s work was also included in a 1985 show at the Sid Deusch Gallery in New York with 42 other potters from Santa Clara and San Ildefonso.

Emily, Ray’s wife, continued making pottery after Ray died, making miniature seed pots and decorating them with sgraffito and painted designs similar to those Ray made.