Edwin Herrera

Edwin Herrera “Ie-yoo-ris” is a full blooded Native American Indian. He is a member of the Oak Clan. Edwin was born in 1966 into the Cochiti Pueblo. He was inspired to learn the art of working with clay from his mother, Mary Frances Herrera. She taught him all the fundamentals of working with clay, using the ancient traditional methods passed on to her from their ancestors during the process. He began experimenting with clay in the early 1980’s while attending High School. This was his means of making money so that he could attend school dances, games, and other school functions. He is currently one of the few pottery artists that currently continue the long lived family tradition of working with clay pottery. He admired the artistic style of other artisans and motivated himself to create his own unique style of art.

Edwin gathers his clay and sand from within the hills of the Cochiti Pueblo. He hand mixes, hand coils, shapes, hand paints, and fires his pottery the traditional way, outdoors, using cedar wood chips. Edwin specializes in hand sculpted wildlife and southwestern nativities, bear sculptures, and hand coiled traditional pottery bowls. He boils his own natural minerals and vegetables to produce his colors used on his art. The designs which are painted on his pottery are from ancient Cochiti Pueblo designs. He signs his art as: Edwin Herrera, Cochiti, N.M. He is related to Dorothy Herrera and Mary R. Herrera (sisters).