Beyond possessing an MFA in ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design, Rose B. Simpson is a skilled mechanic who studied automotive science at Northern New Mexico College in Española, the lowrider car capital of the world. A confluence of these two passions, Maria depicts Simpson’s personally customized 1985 Chevy El Camino, named Maria after San Ildefonso Pueblo ceramic artist Maria Martinez (1887–1980). With its black-on-black exterior paint and adorning geometric patterns, its design references Martinez’s characteristic pottery and pueblo motifs. For Simpson, her car is a mobile canvas—a harmonious fusion of art and life that testifies to her heritage and New Mexico upbringing.