Joseph Gachupin is a full blooded Native American Indian. He was born in 1953 into the Jemez Pueblo. He was inspired to learn the art of working with clay using ancient
traditional methods from his wife, Caroline Gachupin. His sister-in-law, Emily Tsosie taught Joseph all the fundamentals of working with natural pigments found within the Jemez Pueblo. She also taught him special methods to apply when constructing his masterpieces of art. The lucrative aspect of the business also was inspiration for him to continue the long lived legacy of working with clay. When Joseph first began constructing his art he was occasionally teased about doing women’s work until he became more successful and won more awards for his accomplishments.
Joseph specializes in hand pinched and hand molded corn maidens and corn sculptures. He gathers his clay, soaks the clay, screens for impurifications, hand mixes with other pigments, hand pinches each kernel of corn, hand shapes, hand paints, and fires outdoors, with cedar chips. The paints are all derived from natural plants and minerals which are collected and boiled together by Joseph. He signs his art as: J.R. Gachupin, Jemez.
