International Folk Art Market Artist Demonstration – José García Antonio & Santa Reyna Teresita Mendoza Sanchez & José Luis Reyes Martinez – July 11
Shelby House is pleased to participate in the International Folk Art Market’s
Downtown Santa Fe Walking Tour on Thursday, July 11, from 2-4pm.
Artist Demonstration & Refreshments
Artist José García Antonio has just won the National Prize for Ceramics in Mexico, the highest honor for a ceramicist!
Please help us welcome José García Antonio & Santa Reyna Teresita Mendoza Sanchez from Oaxaca, Mexico. During their demonstration, they will beautifully create clay figures inspired by animals, mermaids, and the female form.
San Antonino Castillo Velasco, Oaxaca is home to a centuries-old ceramic tradition, with local citizens routinely requesting figures for special occasions such as Day of the Dead or Christmas.
The family workshop is filled with ceramic pieces drying in the shade or sun, awaiting firing in a large kiln.
“We use clay obtained directly from the soil near our village, remove the impurities and then crush it into a fine powder,” explains José Luis Reyes Martínez, the artists’ son-in-law, who is also participating in this year’s Market.
“We then add water and knead the clay, to get the right consistency. We use the pointed end of an agave leaf for etching, and a smooth stone for burnishing.” All sculptures are formed by hand, with some details like braids and flowers made separately and then added to the main body of the piece later. After this is done, each item is allowed to dry slowly in a shaded area, and then moved to the sun to dry completely. The piece is then fired in a kiln for several hours.
San Antonino Castillo Velasco is a village in the central valleys of Oaxaca, and the Zapotec communities here have ceramics traditions dating back beyond pre-Colonial times.
