CERAMIC
MATERIALS
CERAMIC
In the Magdalena River Valley, in Colombia’s Tolima region, lies a place where clay and color come together to create ceramics steeped in history: La Chamba. For more than three hundred years, the people of this region have practiced pottery, passing their knowledge down from generation to generation.
The first peoples to inhabit the region were the Poinco or Yarapogo of the Pijao culture. Their forms and their use of red-clay slip shaped a ceramic tradition that has been preserved to this day. Through generations of craftsmanship, working with clay became a living expression of the history and culture of this distinctly artisanal region.
Their skill and dedication are reflected in every object they create. Predominantly devoted to the art of pottery, the community has earned recognition both in Colombia and abroad through the work it continues to carry out each day.
INTRODUCING ·
ROSA SALAZAR
THE CERAMICS OF THIS REGION ARE DEEPLY CONNECTED TO WOMEN.
It is through their hands and spirit that clay is brought to life. Gathered from deep within the earth, this noble material creates a connection between the energy of the land and the women who inhabit the region. Their essence is expressed through the objects they shape, giving each piece its own singular beauty.
The process behind a Menguante piece begins alongside the men of the community, who travel to the mines and natural deposits to extract and prepare the clay. The ceramic used in our pieces is created from a combination of three types of clay: smooth dark clay, sandy gray clay, and red clay.
The clay is then prepared and shaped entirely by hand, using only a small number of tools developed by the artisans themselves. The finishing process incorporates traditional techniques such as burnishing, which gives the ceramic its characteristic sheen, as well as the application of red-clay slip.
The pieces are then fired in handmade clay kilns at temperatures between 700°C and 750°C for two to three hours. They are subsequently smoked to achieve their distinctive black finish.
It is a process rooted in patience and dedication, carried out in harmony with and respect for ancestral knowledge of the land. The result is the creation of objects that embody feminine energy and preserve the traditions of the Indigenous peoples who once inhabited these territories.
Menguante honors and brings visibility to this process through pieces conceived, designed, and created to carry tradition forward into something new.
