Blue, Green & Yellow Ash Mug

I think of pottery as a rich cultural tradition that is celebrated in my home country of Nicaragua. As a child I remember my mother cooking tortillas on her favorite comal and serving my favorite meals, such as nacatamales and baho, on rustic ceramic serving dishes. My journey with clay began when I produced ceramic water filters, which were used to purify water in communities that did not have access to clean potable drinking water. I later served in an apprenticeship and began throwing my own pots on a kick wheel with locally sourced and processed terracotta clay. For 10 years, I worked with a nonprofit to help Nicaraguan artisans promote their pottery, provided technical support, and helped them access markets. When I moved to Minnesota in 2018, I began exploring high fired clays and glazes with wood, gas, and electric firing techniques. Whether pottery is rustic or refined, hand burnished or glazed, made with salvaged materials or fancy tools, I appreciate that ceramics can bring people of all cultures together to share a meal from their favorite pot or enjoy the artistry of our common language of clay.