Virgil Ortiz

His ceramics reinterpret the Monos of the 19th century, satirical clay figures traditionally made by the Cochiti potters as a commentary on the arrival of foreigners, circus travellers or eccentric characters. Ortiz renews this practice while incorporating references to the history of his people, tales of science-fiction, apocalyptic themes and his own visual narrative. His works focus on indigenous memory and resistance, especially centred around the 1680 Pueblo Revolt against the Spanish colonisers. His work has been exhibited on the international stage, notably at the Stedelijk Museum’s-Hertogenbosch in Amsterdam and at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

The Fondation Cartier has presented his works in the exhibitions, Un art Populaire (2001), Histoires de voir (2012), Mondo Reale at the Triennale Milano (2022) and Siamo Foresta at the Triennale Milano (2023).