Louis and Virginia Naranjo

Cochiti Pueblo

Louis Naranjo (1932-1997) became a potter later in life, after his wife Virginia (b. 1932) suffered a stroke. She and his mother (Frances Suina) taught him how to make pottery the traditional way and he went on to innovate his line of animal storytellers, starting with the bear. He and Virginia made pottery together for years at the comfort of their kitchen table, surrounded by children and grandchildren.

Louis and Virginia fashioned figurines of all sorts: angels, padres, storytellers, men with baseball hats, nacimientos, men and women in swimming suits with cameras around their necks, pueblo dancers, mermaids and Santa Clauses...