"My
creative energy is often spiritual in nature. Each of my sculptures
invariably represent some aspect of praise and appreciation for
life’s beauty. Since my Pueblo religion restricts the realistic
unveiling of ceremonial life, the challenge is to use abstract
art to represent the sacred; images that specifically capture
a reflection of my spirituality and expressions of my intercession
with God."
- Joe Cajero
Joe
Cajero, Jr. was born in 1970 in Santa Fe, New Mexico and raised
in the Pueblo of Jemez. He is a descendant of a long line of
Pueblo artists, including his father, a painter, and his mother,
Esther, is a potter. Cajero often accompanied her to Indian art
shows throughout the Southwest. On the road as well as in her
small shop in Old Town, Albuquerque, the young Cajero learned
from his mother the business of marketing ones art and was challenged
to try a creative form he never guessed he'd be known for today,
clay sculpture. While growing up, Cajero also had the privilege
of spending many hours with his maternal great-grandmother Petra
Romero, listening to the wonderful stories she would tell of
times gone by. Her stories provided him with a solid foundation
in his traditional culture and continue to inform the work he
does today.
Cajero
knew early on he would be an artist and assumed he would follow
in the lines of his father and become a painter. At fifteen years
of age, while sitting in his mother's shop one day, bored, she
convinced him to take a piece of clay and try to create something
out of it. That something turned out to be a small bear figure.
That first figure sold the same day before it had even dried.
This was a good sign for a young artist. His mother encouraged
him to continue work in clay. Cajero made several more bear figures
and sold them. Eventually those bears began to stand upright
and take on human characteristics. Hands emerged from claws and
faces began to form. Cajero knew then, he had graduated to the
next level.
This
next level took him to the Institute of American Indian Arts
in Santa Fe after high school, where he studied two-dimensional
art, with a few classes in traditional pottery making. His mentor
and cousin, Felix Vigil, was teaching there at the time and provided
the young artist with priceless insight, "He taught me how
to look and where to look inside myself, so that I didn't have
to draw from other artists in order to find inspiration. I admire
the work of other artists, but I look only to myself to create."
Although Cajero continues to make the smiling koshare figures
he is internationally known for, he is not one for complacency.
He constantly strives to satisfy his need for fresh ideas and
subject matter by challenging himself to try new techniques and
imagery.
In
recent years, Cajero has begun making limited edition bronze
figures. He enjoys working with commercial clay as opposed to
traditional Jemez clays, as well as the process of selecting
the patinas and colors that are used in the finish. Bronze work
has led to the opening of new creative doors for the artist.
"It seems I've been developing my skills in clay to lead
me to work in bronze, and working with bronze has enhanced my
skills with natural clay." He is also beginning to paint
again, an art form that has always been close to his heart. He
is excited about the creative possibilities and is looking forward
to seeing how it will effect his three dimensional work. The
thirty-one year old Cajero, resides in the small community of
Placitas, New Mexico. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, fishing,
bow hunting, camping and his daily workouts.
Recent Awards:
Santa Fe Indian Market, 1st Place, Clay Sculpture
Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market, 2nd Place, Clay Sculpture
Santa Fe Indian Market, 2nd Place, Bronze Sculpture
Santa Fe Indian Market, 2nd Place, Bronze Sculpture under 30"
The Philadelphia Craft Show, Best of Native American Exhibit
New Mexico Indian Arts and Crafts Assoc., 1st Place in Sculpture
Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market, Best in Division, Bronze Sculpture
Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market, 1st Place, Bronze Sculpture
Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market, 3rd Place, Bronze Sculpture
