About me

Ceramics and leatherwork artisan - Caracola is a Canarian brand of ceramics and leather-work pieces and jewellery. At the head of the business is Pitoya, a Canarian resident artisan who comes from a Canarian family with a long artistic tradition. To train, she began learning traditional pottery with the master potter Justo Cubas; following this, she took introductory courses in modelling and decorative techniques with Eduardo Andaluz, the ceramics sculptor; later she attended courses in Ceramic Clay and Slips, and in Low and High Temperature Enamels, both with Lucette Godard; the most recent courses she has attended have been in Raku Ceramics, screen printing applied to ceramics, and an introduction to jewellery applied to ceramics in Ramon Fort's workshop-school in Gerona.

In Pitoya's workshop everything is based on the motto "From decorative to utilitarian". She is the author of unique pieces, 100% artisan-produced, whose inspiration has been a slow burn, although produced at a high temperature. This artisan work stands out not only because of its decorative and aesthetic nature, but also because it is utilitarian and practical. Jewels and pieces conceived from the outside in, with as much loving and detailed care taken over the inside as the outside. Humanist designs in leather and ceramics, where the parallelism with people is clear.

Location

Cruce del Cartero s/n. Tarajalejo, Fuerteventura, España

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About my work

"Piece by piece, the ceramics are worked by hand with clay and white pastes with different colours. After being shaped, they are fired in high temperature ceramics kilns, so that the pores are better closed and the pieces acquire greater hardness. This process is necessary in order to make each piece functional for the purpose it has been designed for in the first place. In some cases, the production is completed with enamelled finishes in which case they are fired twice".

With regard to the techniques, she is not committed to just one: she uses coils, slabs, throwing, pinching, slip casting... "I use various techniques, depending on the piece that I'm producing". She also uses various decorative techniques such as slips, enamels, textures and incisions, amongst others. Besides ceramics, Pitoya also works in leather, creating eye-catching accessories. For her creations she likes to take inspiration from Canarian "pintaderas" (a kind of pre-historic seal), and she makes use of materials such as sterling silver, waxed threads, beads and more. Among the artisan ceramic and leather gems produced by Caracola, you can find basalt necklaces, white and black sand earrings, Tegue (clay), ash pendants...

Fuerteventura

"As a result, we are looking at a type of artisan work which makes clear references to Fuerteventura by employing elements such as sand, water, rock and lava which make us feel deeply connected with the island's nature."

Interview

Pitoya Camalich Massieu, Ceramics and Leatherwork - Pitoya Camalich Massieu is an expert ceramic craftswoman and also a specialist in leather goods, a native of Gran Canaria who has lived in Fuerteventura (Tarajalejo) for thirty years and is more than capable of infusing all her work with the strong bond she has with the islands that she lives and breathes. "I feel…