Noticias
The National Award of Ceramics honored Mexican artisans
December 06, 2017The National Award of Ceramics, established 41 years ago, was given on December 6th to artisans from Chiapas, Michoacán, Jalisco, Chihuahua, Veracruz and the State of Mexico by María Cristina García Cepeda, secretary of Culture, representing the President of the Republic Enrique Peña Nieto.
The attendees present at the ceremony held at the Department of Culture were: Jorge Gutiérrez Vázquez, Undersecretary of Cultural Diversity and Promotion of Reading; Jorge Lamas, representative of the State Government of Jalisco; María Elena Limón, mayor of Tlaquepaque; Israel Hiram Ortiz Huerta, person in charge of the Fonart Operations Management; Jacinto Chacha Antele, general director of Popular, Native and Urban Cultures of the Department of Culture, and Fernanda Matos Moctezuma, representative of the jury.
María Cristina García Cepeda highlighted the importance of this award because it reflects the country’s cultural richness, with all the manifestations that give it identity and pride, and recognizes men and women who with their work "remind memories, images, experiences and words of our grandparents that last in time”.
She said that craftsmanship is part of everyday life and our traditions, embodied in those works that identify us, and in this sense she recalled Octavio Paz’s words: "Among clay petals is born, smiling, the human flower”.
“You, the artisans, show in the world, beyond our borders, the voice that spreads our culture, preserving our ancient traditions and leaving your knowledge and tradition to the new generations”, said María Cristina García Cepeda.
Fernanda Matos Moctezuma, representing the jury, recalled that the great and varied collection of pieces confirmed the great cultural map existing in Mexico and the creative capacity of the inhabitants of each region where ceramics has flourished for centuries.
She mentioned that over a thousand objects sent from 30 states of the Republic showed the members of the jury the fragile division between art and craftsmanship, which leaves the symbolic weight of popular culture.
"Each piece was not the product of a serial or mechanical dynamic, it was born from the imagination and is a testimony of cultures that are transformed according to regional characteristics. They are exceptional pieces that tell us about our country’s richness”.
Martin Hernandez Sanchez from the State of Mexico, award- winner in the Miniature Ceramics category, said on behalf of the winners, that this award is eagerly awaited by those who make craftsmanship and prepare themselves year after year in their communities.
"Working the mud is a very noble activity for us, with this material we can show our history, that of our people and the heritage of our parents and grandparents, which we will inherit to our children and grandchildren. Being an artisan is a pride because you have to bring the clay from afar, you have to sift, burnish, model, bake and decorate it, it’s a hard work but we dedicate our love”
During the ceremony, awards were also given to Jerónimo Morquecho, from San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas for Contemporary Ceramics; Marcos Martínez Reyes, from Capula, Michoacán in the category of Traditional lead-free Pottery; José de Jesús Álvarez, from Tonalá, Jalisco for Traditional Ceramics; Perla García López, from Delicias, Chihuahua for Ceramic Sculpture; Carmen Gutiérrez from Naolinco, Veracruz for Christmas Ceramics; and Alejandro Romero from Capula, Michoacán in the category Figure in clay.
María Elena Limón, mayor of Tlaquepaque, finally said that artisans find in the act of molding their own land with their joys and their way of feeling.
"We thank you for bringing this country to life with your creations. Year after year we find in this tradition the forms and the heart of our ancestors”.
Mexico,Distrito Federal
