Alice and Ruben Martinez

Artist Profile

Alice Martinez and her son, Ruben, have formed a partnership with pottery making. They are from the Pueblo of San Ildefonso/Tewa. Alice has been making pottery for more than fifty years. She was inspired to continue the long lived tradition of hand coiling pottery from her parents, Richard and Lucy Martinez. Ruben learned the fundamentals of pottery making from his mother and now they have joined forces and combined their efforts to make some of the finest black on black pottery available today.

Over the years, Alice and Ruben have perfected the Tunyo polychrome matte on polished black style pottery that the Martinez family from San Ildefonso had become famous for back in the early 1900’s.

Alice’s father, Richard Martinez was the adopted son of the famous Maria Martinez.