Joseph Youngblood-Lugo is the youngest son of noted potter Nancy Youngblood and a great-grandson of Margret Tafoya.  He learned to make pottery from his mother, so his technical skills are exceptional.  Each piece is coil-built, carved, stone polished, and native-fired outdoors. This small jar is fully carved with a flowing design, and even the rim and base are fully polished. The jar is entitled, “Chaco Past”.  Joseph  said of this piece:

“I called this piece, “Chaco Past”.  It is meant to show flowing water. The motion of the water is a symbol of the migration of our people from Chaco to Santa Clara.  We arrived to the water.

The piece was stone polished to a high shine.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Joseph Youngblood Lugo”.  Joseph continues to make creative and thoughtful works in clay.

“Our tradition is in the clay.  Traditional pottery is doing the process yourself, including digging the clay, respecting our ancestors, and thanking the earth for providing the clay for us.  The Pueblo pottery from a century ago is timeless and can remain an important source of inspiration in the future.” Joseph Lugo, “Future in Clay”, 2022