About Lorraine Williams

Lorraine Williams

About
Lorraine Williams born 1950
Lorraine Yazzie Williams, Diné, Navajo Nation, was born in Arizona during the late 1950s and was raised in Sweetwater, Arizona, near Kayenta and Teec Nos Pos, in the Four Corners region. She was not raised with exposure to the tradition of pottery making and did not begin working with clay until 1980.

Triplets of Lorraine’s 17 siblings also pursue careers in clay.

Lorraine possessed a multifaceted skillset, excelling not only in her ability to create intricate beads and captivating sand paintings but also in the art of weaving. Her family background was deeply rooted in spirituality; her father functioned as a medicine man, while her mother was an accomplished herbalist. It wasn’t until she married George Williams and became exposed to his mother’s, Rose Williams’, renowned pottery skills that Lorraine developed an appreciation for ceramics. As she delved deeper into the world of pottery, she eventually began creating pieces of her own in the early 1980s.

Lorraine’s work caught the attention of a national audience when she was featured alongside other esteemed female artists in the book “Pottery by American Indian Women: The Legacy of Generations” by Susan Peterson. Furthermore, she was invited to showcase her craft at the prestigious Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where she demonstrated traditional pottery-making techniques. Her artistic endeavors have earned her recognition as a respected artist in her field, with notable awards received from both the Heard Museum Indian Shows and the Santa Fe Indian Market.