Joseph Fragua

Artist Profile

Joseph Fragua was born into the Jemez Pueblo in 1977. He was inspired to learn the art of working with natural clay by assisting Sharon Sarracino construct her pottery. Sharon shared with Joseph the fundamentals of working with clay and using the ancient traditional methods of hand coiling just like their ancestors before them. “I enjoy working with clay because it is a part of me that I am giving to the world and the reactions on the faces of those who admire my work inspire me to become more creative with my ideas,” Joseph said.

Joseph specializes in contemporary hand coiled pottery. He paints his pots using the stem of a yucca plant which has been fashioned into a brush. His designs include flowers, hummingbirds, butterflies, eagle feathers and intricate geometric designs. On occasion, Joseph will hand sculpt a kachina maiden with a beautiful headdress on his pottery. When he finishes painting a pot, he fires his pottery in a kiln to keep to paint from rubbing off. Joseph enjoys hand coiling all types of clay art and accepts new challenges eagerly. He signs his pottery as: Fragua, Jemez. He is related to Margaret Toya (grandmother).