My name is Avery Aguilar and I am from the Pueblo of Santo Domingo located in north central New Mexico.
Santo Domingo Pueblo (also known as Kewa Pueblo) is located in north central New Mexico and is nestled along the banks of the Rio Grande River. Home to approximately 5000 people, the Santo Domingo Pueblo people are known for their production of artwork and practice of trade throughout the Southwest. Much like their Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon ancestors, the Santo Domingo Pueblo people engage in trade of their crafts which carries on to this present day.
My story
As a young kid growing up on the Santo Domingo Pueblo reservation, I had always observed family members consistently create jewelry as they were self-employed artists. Specifically, my grandfather would depend on his creation of jewelry to sell in Gallup, New Mexico in order to support his family. As I grew older I began to recognize the importance of jewelry making as each of my family members found their passions in their own designs and techniques ranging from silversmithing, lapidary, and shell inlay work. It was not until I enrolled in a “silver 101” class while in high school at the Santa Fe Indian School that I established an interest in jewelry making through the means of silversmithing and lapidary work. Since then, I have developed my own style in which I specialize in creating silver overlay designs and inlaying precious stones in the channels created. All designs are hand drawn, cut from a sheet of sterling silver, and soldered together creating one single piece to work with. The strenuous process takes time and a great deal of focus in order to create the works of art you see on this site.
My culture
My culture plays an integral role in how I design and create my pieces. It is important to note that Santo Domingo Pueblo is known as an agrarian society that of which agriculture plays a major role in everyday life. The concepts of agriculture and connection to place can be seen throughout each of my pieces by means of integrating depictions of corn, wildlife, and weather patterns throughout my work. It is through these mediums that I am able to express my connection to place and the perseverance of my people through the generations.