PHOENIX, ARIZONA.- The exhibit explores the work of Cochiti Pueblo ceramist and fashion artist Virgil Ortiz. The world famous Heard Museum will open the new exhibit Virgil Ortiz: La Renaissance Indigène. The exhibit explores the work of Cochiti Pueblo ceramist and fashion artist Virgil Ortiz. Described as versatile and dramatic, Ortiz’s figures push the envelope of figurative pottery morphing Native traditions with revolutionary interpretations of contemporary society.

Virgil Ortiz - La Renaissance Indigène will be organized around three thematic ideas: historical perspective, artist commentary and vogue. Historical perspective examines historic Cochiti pottery work and addresses the underlying inspiration for the artist’s work. Artist commentary is a parody of contemporary society and vogue incorporates fashion by examining the artist’s entrance into the world of haute couture through collaborative ventures with New York fashion designer Donna Karan.

The exhibit also examines the artist’s entrance into the world of haute couture and his ventures with New York fashion designer Donna Karan

Ortiz was born in 1969 in Santa Fe, N.M, and currently lives and works at Cochiti Pueblo. The ceramist has been creating since he was 6 years old and comes from a distinguished family of Cochiti potters. Ortiz’s figures of ambiguous gender are based on the subgenre of Pueblo folk art, often referred to as the "tallstanding figures." The figures are masterfully produced and painted. At the age of 32, Ortiz is now exploring the world of fashion design, linens and accessories.