St. Olaf College

Tavo (Ocatvio) Silveira

ceramicist
Mexico
b. b. 1977
View objects by this artist.

Octavio “Tavo” Silveira was born in 1977 in Mata Ortiz, Mexico. Silveira learned the basics of pottery from his father, Nicolas Silveira Ortiz, and his mother in the 1990s, however after that time Tavo learned on his own. Most of his pottery is covered in red slip, with the rim left unslipped to be incised later while the rest of the work is painted. His style of painting involves symmetry and incorporates the Quezada and Porvenir styles, making it unique. He signs the bottoms of his works with “Tavo Silveira.”
Tavo has won a multitude of prizes, including Best of Show (Galardon) at the Concurso de Mata Ortiz. His works have been praised as being some of the best to come out of Mata Ortiz.

Madison Duran ‘20
March 2019

Sources:
Harris, Scott. “Tavo Silveira.” Santa Clara Pueblo Potters | In the Eyes of the Pot, The House of
ChaRuut, www.eyesofthepot.com/mata-ortiz/tavo_silveira.htm.
“Tavo Silveira.” Chimayo Trading Del Norte, 1 May 2015,
www.chimayotrading.com/artists/tavo-silveira/.
“Vintage Tavo Silveira Pot, Mata Ortiz, Mexico, Carved Olla of Polychrome Pottery, Award
Winning Potter, Signed.” Etsy,
www.etsy.com/listing/659523522/vintage-tavo-silveira-pot-mata-ortiz.