Tse-Pe

Tse-Pe was born into San Ildefonso Pueblo in 1940. His parents, Robert and Rose Gonzales, named him John Gonzales but he changed that just after he finished high school.

Tse-Pe learned how to make pottery while watching his mother as he was growing up. Originally from Ohkay Owingeh, Rose deep carved and incised her pieces while he learned to prefer sgraffito and low relief carving.

When he was 19, Tse-Pe married Dora Gachupin of Zia Pueblo. Contrary to Puebloan tradition, she moved to his home at San Ildefonso. She had learned the Zia way of making pottery from her mother, Candelaria Gachupin, as she grew up. At San Ildefonso she learned the San Ildefonso way of making pottery from her mother-in-law. Together, Tse-Pe and Dora were exposed to the works of Popovi Da and Tony Da from San Ildefonso and Joseph Lonewolf, Camilio Tafoya and Grace Medicine Flower from Santa Clara Pueblo. They all worked to push the quality of sgraffito work higher and higher.

Tse-Pe also added turquoise and heishe bead inlays and micaceous and green clays to his pottery, styles that were adopted and developed further by Russell Sanchez.

Tse-Pe and Dora divorced around 1979 and Dora went on to an award-earning career on her own. Tse-Pe met and married Jennifer Sisneros of Santa Clara soon after the divorce.

Tse-Pe always credited his mother with inspiring him to be a potter. His daughters, Andrea, Candace, Gerri, Irene and Jennifer, credited both their parents with inspiring them.

Some Awards earned by Tse-Pe

• 1976 Santa Fe Indian Market, Second Place award with Dora for an incised bowl
• 1978 Santa Fe Indian Market, Second Place award with Dora for a carved black jar
• 1978 Santa Fe Indian Market, Second Place award with Dora for a carved black jar with an avanyu design