Shije, Yvonne

Yvonne Shije Grayson was born at Acomita, an outlier village of Acoma Pueblo in September 1961. Her mother, Juanita C. Shije, was of Acoma heritage but had married into and moved to her husband’s home at Zia Pueblo. Yvonne and her sister, Cornelia J. Shije, learned how to make Zia pottery from watching and working with their mother as they grew up.

Yvonne makes mostly polychrome jars, bowls and wedding vases, preferring to decorate them with her own versions of the Zia roadrunner, yucca cactus and other traditional designs.