Background
He was born in Berkeley, California, and is a member of the Cochiti Pueblo. Mateo Romero was born on December 9, 1966. His father, Santiago Romero was a Southern Keresan Cochiti artist.
His mother is Nellie Guth, a European-American.
His father"s mother, Teresita Chavez Romero, was a traditional ceramicist, known for her seated clay figurines and functional jars or ollas.
Education
Romero attended Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire and studied under Varujan Boghosian and Frank Moss.
Career
Mateo"s Indian name is He-tse-tewa or "War Shield." He briefly attended the Institute of American Indian Arts. At the University Of New Mexico in Albuquerque, Romero earned his Master of Fine Arts Degree in printmaking. At the School of American Research, he furthered his painting techniques as a Dubin Fellow in 2002.
In 2008, he was chosen to be the SWAIA Indian Market poster artist.
Mateo began painting narrative scenes providing social commentary on contemporary Pueblo life. Subject matter for his paintings falls into four categories: "Addictions," "Indian Gaming," "Bonnie and Clyde," and "Voices at Wounded Knee," according to writer Gregory Schaaf, Doctor of Philosophy. He moved towards mixed media and began working with historical photographs his "Dancers" series, which employs a technique he personally invented that incorporates asphalt into the surface.
Today, he is not only a successful painter, but also a writer, curator, and educator.