bio & statement

Artist Biography

D’Kota Potter is from the pueblos of Jemez and Ohkay Owingeh. Growing up, he had only a few connections with his Pueblo family and traditions. He was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He attended Santa Fe Indian School for high school, where he took his first jewelry class as a freshman. When D’Kota was a junior, his jewelry class took the students to The Heard Museum, where D’Kota had a piece of jewelry sold at an auction. Learning as much as he could in such a short period of time, he decided to attend The Institute of American Indian Arts to pursue the life of a jeweler. Since then, his jewelry has been shown at the Smithsonian in Washington DC, Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe, NM, and art galleries around Santa Fe.

Artist Statement

Jewelry is a part of who I am, an extension of my thoughts and skills. Each piece made is an idea wanting to become a reality that has an aspect of myself as a first-generation small metal worker. working with less precious scrap metals taught me to find value and success in others' discards. My work draws on the aesthetic of traditional Southwest jewelry and reimagines that history with my contemporary style, influencing me to create a new style that’s my own. My interest in history or tradition lies not only in the influences of indigenous people but also in the aesthetic of the darker patina. I work in sterling silver, gold, copper, and brass utilizing patina to achieve the darkened look. I started my journey as a jeweler back in 2017 and look forward to the years to come. My motivations are simple; the first is my grandma, who lit that spark under me at such a young age. She instilled a creative nature, letting me paint beside her. The second is seeing the joy in others wearing and feeling proud to show off my work.