Roxanne Swentzell

Roxanne Swentzell (born 1962) is a Santa Clara Pueblo ceramic sculptor whose clay figures are among the most psychologically complex works produced in the Pueblo ceramic tradition. Where much Pueblo pottery emphasizes decorative geometric precision, Swentzell's figures wrestle with humor, grief, joy, and confusion — creating a cast of characters that feel genuinely alive. Her work moves beyond craft tradition to interrogate what it means to be Pueblo and human simultaneously: children playing, elders resting, figures caught in moments of vulnerability and delight. She co-founded the Flowering Tree Permaculture Institute at Santa Clara Pueblo, connecting her art practice to Indigenous agriculture, seed saving, and food sovereignty. Her work is held in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian, the Heard Museum, and other major institutions. She is a daughter of Rina Swentzell, a prominent scholar of Pueblo architecture.