Juan Quezada, who is known as the patriarch of the Mata Ortiz potters, was inspired by the pottery of the pre-Colombian Casas Grandes people.  
As a child he collected and studied pottery shards and after years of trial and error perfected the Casas Grandes pottery making techniques used today.  From the age of sixteen he began experimenting and discovered where to find the best clay and determined the proper firing material, which is cow chips.  His unique style is admired and collected world-wide.

Recommended Reading
Travelocity.com Homepage