The Wonderful Works of Kathleen Wall

Indian River Gallery is extremely proud and pleased to represent the great work by highly acclaimed award winning artist Kathleen Wall.

Kathleen is from the Jemez pueblo in N.M. She has been working in clay since the tender age of 8 years old. Kathleen comes from a long line of pottery artists specializing in storytellers. Kathleen was taught by her mother Fannie Loretto, who in turn was taught by her mother, Cari Loretto. Kathleen’s father is a Chippewa stone sculptor so Kathleen definitely has the creative blood running through her veins! Kathleen says that growing up surrounded by the clay she knew that it was the obvious path for her to take. She says that working with the clay came naturally to her, it was not easy but it was a natural process. Kathleen works mainly in clay but she also works in the bronze medium.

Kathleen works in her small studio in Jemez. She feels extremely blessed to have been given the space by her grandfather before he passed away. He told her that she would always have a place to create her artwork. Her studio is extremely inspiring to her, her grandfather built his two room adobe home in the 1950’s. Her mother was born in the home in front of the fireplace. Kathleen has since recreated the small home and added a new fireplace just for her mother. Kathleen says that being surrounded by her culture, her family and the natural materials found in Jemez she feels a strong connection to the people and the land which they call home.

Kathleen’s career as an artist had flourished by the age of 17. Kathleen went on to receive formal training at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M. where she studied fine art. Kathleen’s work is constantly evolving and moving forward but her work is very much based on the traditions of pueblo life and has a strong influence from the past. Kathleen has won numerous awards for her work. She was also featured in several publications and at the Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque in a one-woman show. Kathleen presented a storyteller to First Lady Laura Bush at a women’s congressional luncheon in April 2006.

Her contemporary take on the traditional Koshari clown moves her into a realm of her own. The Koshari clown is a very important character within the pueblo culture. The Koshari appears at ceremonies and at gatherings in the pueblo villages on feast days. They are there solely to entertain the people and are often very boisterous and loud, fooling around and are often gluttonous! They will offer piki bread to the villagers in the audience. (piki; a paper thin bread made from cornmeal, the batter is cooked on a baking stone, this is served traditionally at ceremonies and very important gatherings). The Koshari clown will often appear as drummers for other dances. The Koshari is also known as the Hano or Tewa clown on the Hopi Mesas. They are considered to be the fathers of the Kachinas.

Indian River Gallery is pleased to feature in the gallery those wonderful Koshari clowns that Kathleen has become famous for. These whimsical little characters are cheerful, uplifting and you cannot help but smile when you see these beautiful creations that she makes out of both bronze and clay. The Koshari clowns that we have here in the gallery are in bronze. They are of small limited edition sizes and are signed and numbered by Kathleen.

To have one of Kathleen’s pieces in any collection would be both impressive and also bring a positive, uplifting feeling to any home! These characters are just adorable!

Do not miss the opportunity to enjoy one of these beautiful creations in your home by the highly respected artist Kathleen Wall.

Please visit www.indianrivergallery.com to add one of these little guys to your collection!

- Alyson Godfrey.