Quezada, Samuel

Samuel Lopez Quezada is the son of Reynalda Quezada. He grew up in a pottery-making household in the village of Mata Ortiz in northern Mexico. His family was full of potters and he learned from all of them. Today, Samuel works with his wife, Estella Silva de Lopez. Most of his pieces are polished, sculptural forms and she helps with the polishing and sanding. Many of his pieces are built of spiraling ribs molded into the clay.

Where most potters sand their work after a piece has dried and before they start the laborious process of polishing and then firing, Samuel smooths the surfaces of his pots after firing, using various grades of wet/dry sandpaper.

In 2018 Samuel earned a Third Place prize at the annual Concurso Ceramica de Mata Ortiz for a traditional color piece he made.