José García Antonio (born August 10, 1947) is a
Mexican potter from San Antonio Castillo Velasco in the municipality of
Ocotlán, Oaxaca, a town noted for its handcrafts.
He still has is house and workshop there, located beyond the church behind a tall gate that hides what is inside.
At the age of seven, he began making horses and giraffes from clay without any teacher to guide him, impressing others with his talent. His first commercial pieces were incense burners for
Day of the Dead
The Day of the Dead ( es, Día de Muertos or ''Día de los Muertos'') is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. It is widely obser ...
, adorning them with figures related to this holiday.
[ His work has since become well known and was recognized as a “grand master” by the Fomento Cultural ]Banamex #redirect Grupo Financiero Banamex
Grupo Financiero Banamex S.A. de C.V. has its origins and is the owner of the Banco Nacional de México or Citibanamex (formerly Banamex). It is the second-largest bank in Mexico. The Banamex Financial Group wa ...
in 2001.[
García Antonio is best known for her large-scale works, especially those of mermaids, which are covered in decorative elements and generally accompanied by a sun, moon and/or stars.][ He also creates robust female images dressed in traditional clothing and with facial features of Zapotec women and women from the ]Tehuantepec
Tehuantepec (, in full, Santo Domingo Tehuantepec) is a city and municipality in the southeast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the Istmo Region. The area was important in pre Hispanic period ...
region of Oaxaca.[
The artisan also makes more traditional items such as flower pots, nativity scenes, animal figures, angels, humorous skeletal figures for Day of the Dead and toys and decorations for ]Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
.[
García Antonio has been blind for 18 years from glaucoma, but he is still able to create his works by feel. He has no plans to quit despite his health problems.][ He works with local clay, making his pieces with molds and/or by hand. For large pieces, several techniques are used including molding and modeling, along adding decorative elements through carving and superimposed clay. Pieces are burnished with a smooth stone, the dried and fired.][ His pieces are left in their natural ]terra cotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...
color and range from the small to nearly life-sized. His works are primarily decorative and can be found in gardens in his home state.[
García Antonio works with his wife, Teresita Mendoza Reyna Sánchez, whom he married in 1987.][ Both their children have followed in their footsteps. José Miguel García Mendoza won the Friends of Oaxacan Folk Art’s 2008 young artists’ competition. His daughter, Sara Ernestina García Mendoza, won honorable mention in the same competition.][
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia Antonio, Jose
Mexican potters
Living people
1947 births
Artists from Oaxaca