Juan Sanchez & His Container with Cut Opening

Juan Sanchez, the young ceramic artist that I have profiled in a previous post ( June 4, 2008), comes up with some really interesting designs.
His experimentation leads to unusual pots, including the one featured in today's post.

This beautiful polychromatic work takes a common shape, moves the mouth to one side and then creates an opening across the top that complements the painted surface design and the overall form of the vessel. Juan has produced a number of this particular pot, perfecting his design and cut opening technique on each successive container. He now has a gallery quality work of art, featuring his unique color palate and his unusual vessel form. In addition to these unique design elements, Juan has added the use of black sand to the mouth and the swirling arcs, as well as to the bottom half of the pot. The work is signed on the bottom.

Juan and his family of siblings are a very creative and productive clan -- I can hardly wait to return to their workshop on the outskirts of San Juan de Oriente to see what they are coming up with next!