Glendora Fragua is recognized as one of today’s top Pueblo potters. Her pottery is elegant and sophisticated, with precision sgraffito on hand coiled and highly-polished red and buff clay vessels. They are masterpieces in form and design. Her designs, which echo the classic Pueblo designs - kiva steps, spirit figures, rain symbols and corn - are uniquely her own.
"My work is contemporary," says Glendora "but, my methods are traditional. We gather clay from the Pueblo and temper it with volcanic ash. Our traditional paints are from the earth. The building and polishing are all done by hand." Her only nod to technology is the use of a kiln to fire her finished work.
Glendora Fragua was born in St. Louis, Missouri and her early years were spent in San Francisco, California. In the 1970s, she moved back with her family to the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico. At the age of 16, Glendora was developing her own pottery style, using natural clays and slips and experimenting with a scratch technique known as sgraffito. Sgraffito carving requires a steady hand for the delicate, intricate and precise designs.
“The designs I use are my own,” says Glendora.
Glendora has received numerous awards for her work at prestigious shows including the Santa Fe and Dallas Indian Markets, the Heard and Eiteljorg Museum markets and the Gallup Intertribal Indian Ceremonial.
Purchased from Glendora February, 2025