El Coqui Galleries

Carolina Marin Gonzalez, Biography

This tall attractive young woman lives with her parents and sister by the small park at the center of Mata Oritz. She has been making pots since the early 1990’s when she was taught by Oscar Quezada, nephew of Juan Quezada.

Carolina is the secretary to the Mayor of nearby (about a half hour drive) Casas Grandes and also the secretary of the ejido of Mata Ortiz. Therefore, all of her pottery work must be done in the evenings and free weekends.

All of her works are graphite rubbed oxygen reduced clay giving them a brilliant black finish. (Oxygen reduction is the process of firing the pot under a metal or ceramic vessel that has pulverized cow chips at the bottom and is flush to the ground prohibiting oxygen from getting to the pot.) Carolina’s pots are beautifully polished giving them quite a shine. Her painted designs are mainly abstract, but often have a representation of a dove or a fish.

Ron Schneider, November 2002