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Rafael Medel

"Hello. I'm Rafael Medel Arellano and I was born in Lima on July 15, 1957. I remember how, when I was a little boy, I'd watch my brother work. He is a painter and I've always liked art very much.

"I studied Systems Programming and, after graduation, I began to work in this field. After 14 years, there was a difficult period here during which a number of businesses were forced to close and I found myself out of work. I went home and thought about my future, about my wife and our three young children, and I did a great deal of research.

"One day I had the urge to travel to Chulucanas. And there I understood that this is my world. I believe I already had art in my blood from my contact with my brother. I stayed in Chulucanas and began to work with local communities there.

"I'd choose the pieces I liked but I realized that they lacked something. So we formed a great team in which we all worked on the finishing process, from mixing the clay until each fascinating work was done. It's really incredible how we all contributed to the development procedure.

"I try to see that everything is programmed well and that everyone I collaborate with has a real love for this art. After all these years, they all know what I want. I tell them that even though these pieces are crafted by hand, they should have an excellent finish. I'm very demanding and, while there is no such thing as perfection in these ceramics, they are very, very well made.

"Something beautiful that we do that I find very satisfying on a personal level is a project we're involved with. I find it exciting and very satisfying on a personal level, as I share a bit of myself to an extremely poor village near here. I saw the people's needs and I sought someone in authority who could help me put this project together. The pastor of a church there said there were many children in the village. He wanted to teach them values and much more. I offered to work with him and proposed funding breakfast for them once a week on the day services are held. I help in any way I can so that these children are happy. The best payment anyone could receive is a child's smile. This is the most gratifying thing that art has given me – to be able to bring love to these hearts through every piece of Chulucanas ceramics that we finish in my workshop. A percentage of our income is destined to these children. I do this because I want to. At Christmas, I also take them toys and something they'll find useful.

"For me, this world of art is a challenge to be able to show our work across borders. We want to be recognized and appreciated for our history and culture. We need to keep this heritage alive and not forget the path of our ancestors."

In the classic style of Chulucanas, a piece is shaped it on a potter's wheel and fired in a wood-burning kiln. The piece is decorated by hand using engobe (colored slip or liquid clay). A controlled smoking process using dried mango leaves achieves the dark tones. Finally, the piece is waxed and polished with a river stone.

Hand-crafted ceramics such as this are entirely unique – not even the artisan can recreate one. Occasionally they may show color inconsistencies, porosity, or asymmetrical brushstrokes, but this only confirms their originality and authenticity.