Artist Bio:
Diane Lewis (Tsi-Ku-rai-tsa,
Morning Dew), is from the Acoma Pueblo Yellow Corn Clan. She
was born in 1960 and is a member of the Lewis family. She has
been an active potter since the mid-80s. Each member of this
fine family of proven artists are exquisite painters. They are
well known for fine handmade pottery, storytellers and clay sculptures.
Diane began experimenting
with the art of working with clay, and at the age of 21 she mastered
the craft of hand coiling pottery using natural pigments and
focused more on the rules of the ancient traditional methods
of firing outdoors.
Diane specializes in Mimbres
Revival and traditional polychrome jars, bowls, seed pots, pitchers
and miniatures. She paints with soft but crisp colors using natural
paints applied with a brush fashioned from the stems of a yucca
plant. She gathers her natural pigments from within the Acoma
Pueblo.
Diane's work is famous for
the detail and the beautiful organically made colors. Her favorite
subjects are Mimbres animals, lizards, bugs, fish, Kokopelli,
rain, lightening and clouds.
Diane signs her pottery as:
Diane Lewis, Acoma, N.M. She is related to Marilyn Lewis-Ray,
Judy Lewis, Carolyn Lewis-Concho (sisters), and Kathleen Lewis
(mother).
She has a history of recognition
for her work with over 13 awards at the Santa Fe Indian Market
plus others at the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallup;
the Heard Museum Show in Phoenix; and the Eight Northern Pueblos
Arts & Crafts Show.
Diane's work is included in
several major publications including "Pueblo & Navajo
Contemporary Pottery" by Berger and Schiffer; "Pueblo
Pottery: 2000 Artist Biographies" by Gregory Schaaf; "Fourteen
Families in Pueblo Pottery" by Rick Dillingham; and "Southwest
Pottery: Anasazi to Zuni" by Hayes & Blom.
