Crank, Susie

Susie Williams Crank credits her sister Alice Cling as being her pottery inspiration and main teacher. Their mother, Rose Williams, recognized as the matriarch of modern Dineh pottery, taught both Alice and Susie as they were growing up but Alice was more interested and paid more attention back then. Susie’s interest perked up later in life.

Created at her home near Shonto, Arizona, Susie’s pottery is entirely hand-made, from digging and preparing the clay, to hand constructing the pot, to firing in a wood fire.

Her exquisite polished brown ware pottery is thin-walled, well proportioned and perfectly symmetrical with a highly polished surface. Sometimes she’ll add a biyo’ (a traditional decorative fillet around the rim). The way she stacks her wood in the firing produces beautiful color variations (aka fire clouds) ranging from red to orange and brown to black tones. She signs her work: “Susie W Crank” or “Susie Williams” and “Navajo” on the bottom.