ceramic folk art

Magdaleno Fierro handcrafts this ceramic tree of life to celebrate the world of nature. Yellow and red butterflies flock to the terracotta tree that is covered with red leaves and yellow-orange flowers. A bouquet of four calla lilies is nestled where the limbs begin to branch out from the trunk.

The tree of life is a quintessentially Mexican expression of folk art, often a biblical allegory told in clay.

Surrounded by an array of flowers, rays of light burst in a halo about the Virgin Mary. Alejandro Chávez shows her expression of loving concern for her son, Jesus, and for mankind. Known as a retablo, this traditional diorama is housed in a colourful chest crafted of wood and painted. Chávez carefully models each figure from ceramic plaster and paints them by hand.

After Christ's death on the cross, the image itself came to be venerated as one of the most important Christian symbols. Alejandro Chávez shows an empty cross, graced with a portrait of Jesus. Ladders reach to beams where ofrendas (offerings) have been placed. Figures in traditional Andean dress kneel below the cross, their eyes lifted in devout prayer. Known as a retablo, this traditional diorama is housed in a colorful chest crafted of wood and painted. Chávez carefully models each figure from ceramic plaster and paints them by hand; the retablo receives an antique finish.

In the tradition of the Day of the Dead, in which people honour those that may be gone but still hold a special place in their hearts, artisans from the Angel Cerón Artisan Association handcraft a ceramic skull honouring the painter Frida Kahlo. The skull, the natural beige colour of the clay, has Frida's iconic brunette braid across the top of her head, complete with flower crown and petite flowers at the ears, and Frida's undeniably expressive eyebrows.

This dog-themed pot is inspired by an archeological piece depicting a "Colima dog," a Mesoamerican domesticated animal that was shorter and thicker than the Aztec xoloescuincle dogs that still exist today. These short, pot-bellied effigies have been found in shaft tombs throughout the southern state of Colima, hence their name. The original piece can be found at Mexico's national Anthropology Museum. This ceramic version is crafted by the Angel Ceron Artisan Association.