No one remembers the origin of the clay pieces that until recently were used in the fields or at home. But the truth is that there have been many hands from Lanzarote who have dedicated themselves to working the clay to make these objects in an artisanal way. Marcial de León Barrios is one of the few ceramic artisans on the Island who still maintains this way of working. Coinciding with the XVII Insular Craft Fair, an act was held yesterday afternoon in which his work was recognized.
The act consisted of giving a plaque to Marcial de León Barrios. It thanks him for his collaboration with the world of pottery. "I am delighted and very happy because I did not expect it, it is the most one can expect from these things and I am very grateful," commented the ceramicist.
A long history
Marcial de León Barrios began working with clay in 1973. For this he had one of the best teachers, the well-known ceramicist from Lanzarote, Dorotea. "I am married to one of her granddaughters and she was the one who taught me to do this," explained Marcial de León Barrios. Since then, this potter has attended a large number of fairs, meetings and craft shows. This has allowed him to go to various points on the Island and leave it. In this sense, he has visited the fairs of La Guancha and Arguayo in Tenerife, a meeting in Barcelona and has even gone to the island of La Martinica, where he has always attended as a guest to show traditional pottery from Lanzarote. During these years he combined this work with that of a taxi driver, so pottery was more of a hobby than a job.
In the 90s he began working at the Farmer's Monument. Since then he has only dedicated himself to ceramics. His passion for this art leads him to make some figures even in his spare time. However, he is delighted to be able to dedicate himself to this profession.
