Clay workshop
in Francisco Villa

Darwin Cruz, of Ch’ol origin, and PH Joel, a Tseltal artist, chose to work together to better manage the groups of children and youth interested in the workshops held in Ejido Francisco Villa, a village located in the jungle of the Ocosingo municipality, Chiapas. They selected ceramics as the main theme, as the area has several clay extraction points suitable for making pottery.

A day before the workshop, a documentary was screened showcasing communities that preserve and share various ancestral practices. This aimed not only to highlight the benefits of preserving cultural identity but also to invite local residents to attend the workshop.

The session began with a discussion about the types of ceramics that once existed in the jungle, the locations of clay deposits, the cleaning process, the elements that make up the clay body, and the quartz crushing technique used to improve resistance during firing. Then, participants learned hand-building techniques and explored various methods of decorating pieces—either before or after firing—through sgraffito and the use of mineral- or plant-based pigments.