Harlan Reano

Harlan Reano (b.1978) creates innovative pottery using traditional techniques. Lisa Holt makes the vessels and they are painted by Harlan. Lisa learned to make pottery from her mother, Inez Ortiz and she is also a niece of Virgil Ortiz, Janice Ortiz, and a granddaughter of Seferina Ortiz. The materials are all traditional as the red and cream are both native clays while the black is made from wild spinach. Traditional forms and designs have become modernistic interpretations of cultural imagery. Lisa and Harlan have won numerous major “Best of Pottery” awards for their pottery at the Heard Indian Fair, Autry Museum Indian Fair, and Santa Fe Indian Market. They are also featured in books such as “Talking with the Clay” and their work can be found in museums nationwide. They are definitely among the leading younger potters working today.