Rosa Brítez (April 9, 1941 – December 20, 2017) was a Paraguayan

potter A potter is someone who makes pottery. Potter may also refer to: Places United States *Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US *Potter, Arkansas *Potter, Nebraska *Potters, New Jerse ...

and ceramist. One of Paraguay's best known potters, Brítez developed a unique style of

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...

by using black clay to craft pieces and

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...

figurine A figurine (a diminutive form of the word ''figure'') or statuette is a small, three-dimensional sculpture that represents a human, deity or animal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, with cla ...

s. Her work has been recognized in

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

and other countries, including the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. She became known as the "La Ceremista de América," which translates as "Potter or Ceramists of the Americas." Rosa Brítez was born in 1941 in Itá in

Central Department Central () is a Departments of Paraguay, department in Paraguay. The capital is Areguá. With 1,883,927 inhabitants, it is the most populated of the 17 departments of Paraguay. It is also the smallest department, with a total area of . Geogra ...

. She remained in Itá throughout her career. Her home and studio were located along Route 1. Brítez held exhibitions worldwide, including

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, the

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. She received "Potter of the Americas" award in the United States in 1989. In 2014, the

Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay The Chamber of Deputies ''(Cámara de Diputados)'' is the lower house of Paraguay's bicameral legislature, the National Congress. It is made up of 80 members, elected for a five-year term by proportional representation. The other chamber of the ...

honored Brítez with the National Order for Merit "Comuneros" for her lifetime of work. Rosa Brítez died on December 20, 2017, from complications of lung disease at Hospital Nacional de Itauguá in

Itauguá Itauguá () is a city of the Central Department, Paraguay. Founded in 1728, it is known for the ñandutí, a form of traditional lacemaking, and its music. The San Rafael Museum shows various objects from the Colonial Age. The National Hospit ...

, Paraguay, at the age of 76. She had been hospitalized in

intensive care Intensive care medicine, usually called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening. It includes p ...

for the previous 52 days. Brítez was survived by thirteen children and twenty-six grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Britez, Rosa 1941 births 2017 deaths Paraguayan ceramists Paraguayan potters People from Itá, Paraguay