Christopher Youngblood creates intricately carved vessels that reflect a perfect balance of matte and polished surfaces with intricately carved designs.   This box is square in shape. Creating boxes is always technically difficult as the flat sides can easily crack during drying or firing.  This piece is entitled, “Waves and Swirls”.  Each side of the box has a different style of carved melon ribs.  They ebb and swirl across the surface of the piece.  The lid of the box has a flat clay tab with a single swirl on one side and a double swirl on the opposite side. Boxes are always a challenge to make so that they don’t crack in drying, carving, or firing.  The surrounding matte area is polished so smooth it feels like you are touching sand!  Amazing!  It is signed on the bottom, “Chirs Youngblood.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks restoration, or repair.  I’m pleased that I have been working with Chris since 2010 when I wrote the first article on him for Native People’s magazine.  It is exciting to see how his work has progressed over the years and the awards for his pottery, including the 2104 “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market.  In 2021 he won “Best of Pottery” at Gallup Ceremonials.  He was featured in the book Spoken Through Clay and continues to be one of the leading young potters working today.

Chris has said of his pottery:

“I’ve had generations of people before me who have had to learn the hard way. I’ve had that information given to me without having to go through all the struggles. But, I would say on the flip side, having someone so technically advanced as your teacher (Nancy Youngblood), let alone your mother, it’s hard. The expectations are a lot higher.  I’ve learned that now, I never think it’s done. I keep going until I cannot find anything I can refine or add to the piece. To achieve an ever-higher level of precision takes a lifetime. ’s not something you learn, it’s something you live.”  Christopher Youngblood, Spoken Through Clay