MAIDA collaborates with Indigenous artists, creating one of a kind, hand made pieces.
Brandon Adriano Ortiz —
Clay
Taos, NM. micaceous clay responsibly harvested near Taos, NM. Pit-fired with local red cedar.
Brandon Adriano Ortiz, originally from Taos and Taos Pueblo works in tradition with micaceous clay he locally forages and pit fires.
A recent graduate from UNM with a master’s degree in architecture, Brandon applies placemaking modalities to his clay practices as well to his visions of communal spaces in New Mexico, always coming back to indigenous tradition and ethos of who he is and where he is from.
Brother to another Maida collective artist Johnny Ortiz, Maida is honored to be a place where some of the work of Brandon is shared and celebrated.
Brandon Adriano Ortiz’ spoons.
‘Ephemeral Narratives: Design Considerations for a Future Past’ in The Avery Review
Brandon Adriano Ortiz, originally from Taos and Taos Pueblo works in tradition with micaceous clay he locally forages and pit fires.
A recent graduate from UNM with a master’s degree in architecture, Brandon applies placemaking modalities to his clay practices as well to his visions of communal spaces in New Mexico, always coming back to indigenous tradition and ethos of who he is and where he is from.
Brother to another Maida collective artist Johnny Ortiz, Maida is honored to be a place where some of the work of Brandon is shared and celebrated.
Brandon Adriano Ortiz’ spoons.
‘Ephemeral Narratives: Design Considerations for a Future Past’ in The Avery Review
Josh Tafoya —
Wool
Llano, NM. churro wool, dyed cotton - hand woven on a Rio Grande loom.
Josh Tafoya, a native Taoseño, is a designer and fiber artist.
Josh began weaving after he and Johnny Ortiz (friends since high school) began working with /Shed churro sheep, spinning and weaving with their wool.
Weaving connected him back to a family tradition that hadn’t yet been passed on. Long-standing sheep ranchers and weavers, Josh learned his father grew up building looms for his aunt who ran the Weaving Center in Mora, NM - one of the only wool mills in the country remaining.
Josh began weaving on a rio grande loom, a gift from his aunt, and now has a body of work, some of which MAIDA is lucky to share with you.
Josh Tafoya, a native Taoseño, is a designer and fiber artist.
Josh began weaving after he and Johnny Ortiz (friends since high school) began working with /Shed churro sheep, spinning and weaving with their wool.
Weaving connected him back to a family tradition that hadn’t yet been passed on. Long-standing sheep ranchers and weavers, Josh learned his father grew up building looms for his aunt who ran the Weaving Center in Mora, NM - one of the only wool mills in the country remaining.
Josh began weaving on a rio grande loom, a gift from his aunt, and now has a body of work, some of which MAIDA is lucky to share with you.
Johnny Ortiz —
ClayVallecitos, NM. micaceous clay responsibly harvested near Taos, NM. Pit-fired with local red cedar, stone polished, cured with elk marrow and finished in bees wax.
Sold in small batches, and fired on the full moon, there have been five releases of Johnny’s work through MAIDA. The plates (fired 11.7.19), sold individually, and the flower mezcal cups (fired 5.7.20), strawberry mezcal cups (6.5.20), and corn moon mezcal cups (9.1.20) sold as a set of four. Field studies and the large bowls (11.30.20). Bean Pots are custom made.
All of Johnny’s pieces have a signature black color, a gift from the release of carbon during the firing, and are cured with elk marrow and finished in beeswax. Born and raised in Taos and on the Taos Pueblo, Johnny’s pieces carry the magic of the land and sky from which he is from.
To learn more about Johnny and his other work check out /Shed, “an ongoing meditation on where we live in Northern New Mexico, a celebration of its nature and the fleeting of time.”
short film about his clay practice - Johnny Ortiz / Clay
/Shed
@shed_project
Chef in residence at Stone Barns
Object & Thing
Sold in small batches, and fired on the full moon, there have been five releases of Johnny’s work through MAIDA. The plates (fired 11.7.19), sold individually, and the flower mezcal cups (fired 5.7.20), strawberry mezcal cups (6.5.20), and corn moon mezcal cups (9.1.20) sold as a set of four. Field studies and the large bowls (11.30.20). Bean Pots are custom made.
All of Johnny’s pieces have a signature black color, a gift from the release of carbon during the firing, and are cured with elk marrow and finished in beeswax. Born and raised in Taos and on the Taos Pueblo, Johnny’s pieces carry the magic of the land and sky from which he is from.
To learn more about Johnny and his other work check out /Shed, “an ongoing meditation on where we live in Northern New Mexico, a celebration of its nature and the fleeting of time.”
short film about his clay practice - Johnny Ortiz / Clay
/Shed
@shed_project
Chef in residence at Stone Barns
Object & Thing
Gino Antonio —
Silver
Window Rock, AZ. tufa cast
All of MAIDA’S sterling silver pieces are made in collaboration with Gino Antonio. Gino has inherited two gorgeous practices from his grandfather, silver smithing and horse healing.
Gino blesses each piece with the prayers of that lineage, which you can sense in the strength and power of each piece. When Gino’s not silver smithing, he’s performing horse blessing ceremonies in the traditional Navajo way.
All of MAIDA’S sterling silver pieces are made in collaboration with Gino Antonio. Gino has inherited two gorgeous practices from his grandfather, silver smithing and horse healing.
Gino blesses each piece with the prayers of that lineage, which you can sense in the strength and power of each piece. When Gino’s not silver smithing, he’s performing horse blessing ceremonies in the traditional Navajo way.
Camilla Trujillo —
Clay
Española, NM., micaceous clay, stone polished or non toxic glaze
Camilla Trujillo has been studying traditional regional pottery techniques for over 25 years.
All of Camilla’s designs are based on found pottery from archeological digs in Eastern New Mexico.
Now reproduced in Española, the designs exemplify the mixed ancestry that is the southwest, a combination of Tewa tradition and Spanish Franciscan, dating back to the missions of the 1600’s.
Because modern kilns were not yet in New Mexico, pieces were pit fired and given a stone polish finish with no glaze.
MAIDA in collaboration with Camilla has developed a clear glaze that maintains the aesthetic of each piece while making the pieces food safe for every day, lifetime use.
Camilla Trujillo has been studying traditional regional pottery techniques for over 25 years.
All of Camilla’s designs are based on found pottery from archeological digs in Eastern New Mexico.
Now reproduced in Española, the designs exemplify the mixed ancestry that is the southwest, a combination of Tewa tradition and Spanish Franciscan, dating back to the missions of the 1600’s.
Because modern kilns were not yet in New Mexico, pieces were pit fired and given a stone polish finish with no glaze.
MAIDA in collaboration with Camilla has developed a clear glaze that maintains the aesthetic of each piece while making the pieces food safe for every day, lifetime use.