Ceramics
Profile: Miguel Ángel Torres Ferreras Spain’s 2024 Artisan of the Year
Above: Feria Collection by Torres Ferreras and Sebastián Gallego Briefly describe your background and the beginnings of your studio. Torres Ferreras is the brand of the pottery workshop of Miguel Ángel Torres Ferreras, who first sat at the wheel at the age of 11 in a family member’s pottery workshop. In his hometown of La…
Read MoreMiguel Ángel Torres Ferreras wins Spain’s 2024 Artisan of the Year Award
On December 7, 2024, the seventeenth edition of the 2024 National Crafts Awards was held in the Ministry of Industry and Tourism’s auditorium. The event brought together artisan finalists from all over the country in recognition of relevant actors of Spanish national crafts who, with their work, make the sector a driver of economy, employment,…
Read More2024 Made in Spain Holiday Gift Guide
This year my Made in Spain Holiday Gift Guide showcases ceramic jugs. There is no reason for this selection other than when I visited Spain this year, I spotted a striking striped ceramic jug in Hijo de Epigmenio. This gift store sells artisanal ceramic, glass, textiles, and other items from across Spain. I have featured this…
Read MoreVajillas de Ultramar: New Horizons
Combining their mastery of artisanship, art, and design, Vajillas de Ultramar and renowned fashion designer Josep Font debuted “La Vajilla” by Josep Font, their 24-piece ceramics collection, at Milan Design Week 2024. The first appearance by Vajillas de Ultramar at this prestigious global event, the new collection combines the unique vision of Josep Font with the artisanship of…
Read MoreCatching up with Sol & Luna and Yukiko Kitahara
Five years ago, I started this blog to feature the excellence of Spanish design. I have featured dozens of artisans and makers of fine works of ceramics, leather, fiber, metal, textile, and basketry. I recently caught up with four of the studios that I have featured. In this first of two articles, I reach out…
Read MoreWorkshops in Madrid on Ceramic Making
In April, those in the Madrid area can learn the art of ceramic making from the team at Guille García-Hoz, a ceramic artist and interior designer. The workshops take place at his studio at 6 Nao Street. Please check his website to verify available spots. Clay and Wine (April 3, 10, 17, 24) Learners enjoy a…
Read More2023 Made in Spain Holiday Gift Guide
Purposely pared back, this year’s holiday gift guide showcases Spain’s rich and varied ceramic, textile, glassmaking, and woodworking artisanal traditions. Plaart Located in Madrid, Plaart studio makes unique handcrafted contemporary ceramics. Founder Isabel San Martín is a graduate in fine arts and received specialized training in ceramic arts from the School of Art Francisco Alcántara and the Moncloa School of…
Read MoreMadrid Design Festival 2023: Showcasing the Best of Spanish Design
The Madrid Design Festival which began in February is taking place at various locations around Madrid and online. The only festival in Spain that brings together all design disciplines, including architecture, graphic and interior design, hybridizing them in a contemporary and innovative format. This year’s event, the sixth edition, sees the participation of over eighty…
Read MoreAsturian-based Studio Woodic Honoured with Nomination for Spains’s Prestigious National Craft Awards (15th Edition)
Woodic-a contraction of the words wood and ceramic- is the art studio that ceramicist Natalia Suárez opened in a small village in the northern community of Asturias in 2018. A graduate of the University of Barcelona in Fine Arts with a specialty in design, she pursued further education in Artistic Ceramics at the Barcelona Arts…
Read More2022 Made in Spain Holiday Gift Guide: Functional Art Pieces
This curated selection of made-in-Spain pieces has wonderful gift ideas for the discerning recipient. Representing some of the best of Spain’s artisan traditions-leathercraft, ceramic, textile, woodwork- they stand out as purely art pieces as well as functional objects. All items are available online or by special order and can be shipped outside of Spain. José…
Read More5 Made in Spain Serving Trays
The serving tray is a much-used item in my home. In the mornings I place the day’s food selections on it to take to my workplace at home. As a family, we often-perhaps too often-forego the sit-down meal in favour of tray dinners, each member in their own space. I recall searching with my mother…
Read More5 Made in Spain White Tea Sets
I love the idea of the formal tea ceremony. I recall drinking tea with my grandmother as a child and eating her ever-present tea biscuits. I cannot say I loved the bitter flavour of the tea that I invariably drank without added sugar or milk, and I would have preferred a sweeter cookie. But this…
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