Mexican Ceramics Residency Program

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Location: Puebla, Mexico
All Residency Programs + Dates in 2024 & 2025
Missed the December 1 Deadline? E-mail Us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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With a culture that spans more than 30 centuries, in Mexico, ceramics have always been a physical display of status and complex social meaning.

The advanced civilizations and cultures of Mesoamerica developed very sophisticated ceramic art with great diversity in shapes, techniques, scale, and a wide variety of usage from storage and household, to the production of goods, cultural rituals and commemorations, and even as social currency. The invasion of Europeans to the Americas in the 16th century introduced new traditions, techniques, symbolisms, and usages, including Islamic and Sephardic styles, glazes, and forms. As the Spanish empire expanded, the need for reconstruction of cities devasted by the conquest, and the development of new urban centers, resulted in new architecture; the demand for tiles to decorate these buildings, plus the availability of high-quality clay in the area, gave rise to the ceramic industry.

In a complex process of amalgamation, local artist from Mesoamerica learned, dominated, and appropriated many of these techniques and cultural expressions by combining them with their local knowledge. Puebla soon became the capital of ceramics in the Americas, producing pottery and tiles for many regions, and Talavera ceramic was coined as symbol of class differentiation. In the 17th century, other influences arrived with the Manila galleons; for instance, the preferred use of blue and Chinese iconography due to the Ming dynasty ceramics that were imported, and in the 18th century, Italian influences introduced the use of other colors. Talavera, the most famous ceramic of Mexico, testifies to the multiplicity of peoples and diversity of cultures, becoming an important symbol for identity in the Americas.

Artist-in-Residence Leah Fraser (Australia)


The Mexican Ceramics Residency is a mentored, assisted and supervised production residency program. In addition to the individual mentoring provided by our directorial and curatorial staff for personalized research assistance/resources, project guidance, and critique, this program offers the unique opportunity to produce a variety of work on-site at Arquetopia or at our partnered studio in Cholula and includes technique assistance and supervision from our experienced and local master ceramist from the community. The technique and studio facilities work according to the colonial ordinances of Puebla and the Talavera methods focus on handmade processes; no industrial chemicals have been incorporated into the clay or glazes.

Artist-in-Residence Annabel Biro (Canada)

 

On-site ceramics firing room with medium-sized (2ft X 2ft X 2ft interior) gas kiln and upstairs drying room

• Each resident artist meets weekly with our directorial and curatorial staff for personalized mentoring, research assistance/resources, project guidance, and critique
• Staff support provided with firings and use of the studio facilities

• Furnished, private bedroom
• Wireless Internet
• 24-hour access to the kitchen for residents to prepare their own meals; residents are responsible for their own meals/food
• Use of Arquetopia’s residency common spaces including outdoor terraces
• Shared, serviced (single) bathrooms with modern fixtures and showers
• Housekeeping

Studio Workspace:

• On-site ceramics facility with medium-sized (2ft X 2ft X 2ft interior) gas kiln and drying room
• 24-hour access to large and bright, shared art studio with generous natural light
• Personal workspace with large table and wall space
• Some tools provided
• Ceramics materials and supplies (standard glazes and 15 kg / 33 lb of clay) provided
• Access to on-site ceramics studio and gas kiln or to special facilities (such as our partnered ceramics studios) provided, depending on project
  

R ESIDENCY PROGRAM TUITION INFO & APPLICATION DEADLINES

E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for program tuition and application deadlines for this program.

TO APPLY
Click here to apply for this mentored, supervised, non-instructional residency program.

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