José L. A.
From the age of six, José L. A. learned to shape his imagination by playing with clay. He made his own toys while his mother "raised" cántaros, apaxtles and pichanchas to barter at the local market. A lifetime of working clay made him a "Maestro", and now his daughters have followed in his footsteps with José as their guide. They have learned by watching: the amounts of material, the firing time in the kiln, and the secret to blackening the pieces. Maestro José enjoys creating new designs and the pieces his most demanding clients ask for. He accepts any setback or stumble in his work and sums it up in one phrase: "Clay is like life itself; if the piece falls or breaks, you lift it up again." For Don José, being an artisan is a gift you are born with, and he puts it this way: "Potter, to your pots. Each artisan should work at their own craft, each with what God has given them permission to make, and that way good things will come." The López Aragón family workshop is just another façade in San Bartolo Coyotepec, away from the center, with no sign to say that the tradition is alive inside. If you knock on the green gate, two young women will open it, and inside you will see Don José sitting on clay-covered cloths spread on the floor, a pillow against his chest, scraping a grey cántaro with his large hands, removing the excess and smoothing it. Two dogs will also come out to greet you, and the family will tell you how mischievous "Churro" is and how he won't let his owner work until late at night. In the distance you will hear music announcing a fiesta, and Don José will tell you endless stories about the traditions of his town and the ecological advances they have made.
José L. A.
From the age of six, José L. A. learned to shape his imagination by playing with clay. He made his own toys while his mother "raised" cántaros, apaxtles and pichanchas to barter at the local market. A lifetime of working clay made him a "Maestro", and now his daughters have followed in his footsteps with José as their guide. They have learned by watching: the amounts of material, the firing time in the kiln, and the secret to blackening the pieces. Maestro José enjoys creating new designs and the pieces his most demanding clients ask for. He accepts any setback or stumble in his work and sums it up in one phrase: "Clay is like life itself; if the piece falls or breaks, you lift it up again." For Don José, being an artisan is a gift you are born with, and he puts it this way: "Potter, to your pots. Each artisan should work at their own craft, each with what God has given them permission to make, and that way good things will come." The López Aragón family workshop is just another façade in San Bartolo Coyotepec, away from the center, with no sign to say that the tradition is alive inside. If you knock on the green gate, two young women will open it, and inside you will see Don José sitting on clay-covered cloths spread on the floor, a pillow against his chest, scraping a grey cántaro with his large hands, removing the excess and smoothing it. Two dogs will also come out to greet you, and the family will tell you how mischievous "Churro" is and how he won't let his owner work until late at night. In the distance you will hear music announcing a fiesta, and Don José will tell you endless stories about the traditions of his town and the ecological advances they have made.