Lucy Lewis' pots are usually under twelve inches and either polychrome or, more commonly, black on white. Lewis decorated her pots with geometric abstractions inspired by traditional Native American designs on a restrained or undecorated background. Her early designs are inspired by Anasazi andMogollon culture pottery shards. As her career progressed she became increasingly adept at drawing fine-line surface decoration in the style of Mimbres pottery.
Lewisused clays only available to members of the Acoma Pueblo and fired her white earthenware pots outdoors in a dung-fueled kiln. She coil built her pots and finished them using a coating of white slip applied with handmade tools. She later began to incorporate pottery shards into her works.
She learned basic potting techniques from her great-aunt and members of her family continued to make traditional pottery after her death.
Many of Lewis' unsigned pots were sold along Route 66 during her lifetime. In the 1950s, when she started entering competitions, Lewis began signing her pots.
"Other works by Lewis
Lewis in other collections
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Last updated: April 22, 2026
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