Born and raised in Mexico in the village of Ocotlán, Oaxaca, Demetrio García Aguilar grew up in a family of clay artists. Drawing on the traditions of his grandmother and his mother, the famous ceramic artist, Josefina Aguilar, he learned to gather and prepare the raw materials and to model the engaging folkart figures for which the family has earned worldwide acclaim.

Combinding his mother's folk art tradition with his own unique style, Demetrio creates fantastic handcrafted muñecas (human figures) and plaques with personal interpretations of religious, cultural and family themes. Examples of themes he is known for are, the Adam and Eve expelled from the Garden of Eden, the good and bad in all of us, Day of the Dead scenes, and various Frida Kahlo interpretations.

The second son of renowned clay artisan Josefina Aguilar, clay was one of his toys as an infant. By age 7, figures he created in his mother's style were already selling to collectors. As early as 1988, he won first prize in a competition.

Demetrio travels to the United States frequently to work with schools, museums, and universities. His presentations are designed for both adults and students.

To make a plaque, Demetrio cuts the clay to the needed size. Forming the figures takes about two days. Once dry, he fires the piece for eight or nine hours. Then he begins painting - the part of his work he loves the most, but which is also the most time-consuming and detailed step. From start to finish, a plaque generally takes six to ten days. Like many other Mexican ceramicists, his work is fired in a pit in the ground. Being very fragile, many pieces over the years have not made it through the firing process and all Demetrio's work was for naught.

Demetrio is known for his ability to reproduce textures such as rocks and trees. He achieves this by mixing paint with clay. This photo is used courtesy of San Angel Folk Art.

Demetrio will be attending Feria Maestros del Arte 2007. If you are interested in purchasing any of Demetrio's handcrafted ceramics visit the San Angel Folk Art website or through Will Forest on E-Bay or by contacting Marianne Carlson at 01152 376 765 7485 or email mariannecarlson@gmail.com