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craftman-gorky-gonzalez-and-gorky-jr-majolica-guanajuato-mexico

Internationally recognized and Award Winner Gorky Gonzalez and his workshop have dedicated their work to rescue the traditional majolica of Guanajuato, Mexico. Each piece is carefully handcrafted.

Gorky Gonzalez was born in the city of Morelia, Michoacan, on September 27th, 1939. He is the son of sculptor Rodolfo Gonzalez, with whom he worked an studied sculpture and casting of artistic objects in bronze and lost wax.

In 1962, at 23, Gorky worked in San Miguel de Allende, a village located in the State of Guanajuato, at the school of Arts and the Allende Institute, where he build an artistic foundry attended by both students an professional sculptors. Later he founded a small workshop of terra cotta manufacturing in the village of Marfil, where he reproduced Jean Byron’s designs.

His main interest, however, has always been rescuing the traditional majolica. He studied ceramics in Guanajuato, which probably prompted him rescue this lost craft which represent one of the cultural and historical values of this region.

When he was striving to achieve this aim, Gorky met Hisato Murayama, a young cultured Japanese who was in Mexico studying Spanish, Philosophy and Mexican History.

Hisato Murayama, a profound connoisseur of pottery technique, lent Gorky various books on Japanese art, encouraging him to continue his studies in that country.

Gorky was granted a scholarship to study in Japan for two years, where he not only learn diverse pottery techniques but also met his wife, Toshiko.

In this remote country he first studied in Tokyo with Tsuji Seimei, who taught the Shigaraki technique.

Later Gorky moved to the town of Bizen, where he studied with Kei Fujiwara, considere Japan’s living national treasure, and with his son, Yu Fijuwara, also a renowned potter. There he learn the bizen-Yaki technique. Since he return from japan he has devouted he self to the rescue of the traditional majolica pottery from Guanajuato. His workshop Alfareria Tradicional / Gorky Pottery has become one of the most important hand made pottery workshops in Mexico.