Miguel Ángel · Cantarico
Handmade ceramics shaped by craft, place and time.
Cantarico
My name is Miguel Ángel. I’m a visual artist and potter — and the maker behind Cantarico.
My great-grandfather was a potter too. In the village he was known as “Cantarico”, and over time that nickname ended up giving a name to our family. Today I work clay in the same place, keeping a strong link with the craft and the land, while approaching it with a contemporary perspective.
The place
I work in my studio in Arjonilla, in the province of Jaén — a region with a documented ceramic tradition dating back to the Neolithic period, and recognised today as a Site of Cultural Interest.
Being part of this place means working within a legacy that runs through centuries, where clay has always been a way of relating to the landscape, everyday life and time.
How I work
My work combines traditional hand techniques with the use of the pottery wheel. Each piece is built through gesture, rhythm and the time the material requires — without moulds and without industrial processes.
I understand ceramics as studio craft: a practice rooted in place and tradition, but open to a contemporary perspective, where process and experimentation are an essential part of the final result.
I work mainly in high-fired stoneware and porcelain, creating durable pieces designed to be used and lived with.
What I do today
At the moment my work develops along two main lines. On the one hand, contemporary ceramic pieces — bowls, vases and serving pieces — where I explore form, texture and balance. On the other, a specialised line of bonsai pots, designed for long-term cultivation and real use, in constant dialogue with the tree and time.
