Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - For the first time ever in the recent history of Mata Ortiz pottery, this art form is to be shown in Brazil during the Contaf 2011 Exposition, the most important continental event of the year. Contaf brings together lecturers, experts, artists, professors, students, manufacturers and purveyors around the techniques for the art of fire, which include ceramics, glass, porcelain and enamel.

The National Convention of Techniques for the Arts of Fire (Contaf, Portuguese initials), will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from August 25 to 27, at the Brazilian Society of Japanese Culture and Social Assistance’s Bunkyo Space.

The event’s program includes conferences, demonstrations, images, exhibitions and panels of experts with great exponents from various continents. Also, during the days prior to the convention, a series of workshops and seminars will take place.

The pottery from the town of Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico, is a unique kind of art, which has gained international prestige over a short period of time. The remarkable exquisite beauty of the pieces created by the town’s artists has placed them on a top position in the worldwide art scene.

As an art phenomenon, Mata Ortiz ceramics is a paradigm breaker. Looking past the apparent continuation of the Casas Grandes and Paquime pottery tradition, an actual rebirth can be seen, set in motion by Juan Quezada.

Unlike other peoples’ ceramic traditions, which are passed down from generation to generation within families, Mata Ortiz pottery has not had time to be inherited and has spread horizontally to all the families in the village. And although it is a type of ceramics identified by the name of the place where it is made, in actuality each artist seeks, from the starting point of the basic techniques proper to this pottery, to stand out as individual, breaking away from the group identity and seeking his or her own signature through constant innovation.

From this attitude, intense competition arises, resulting in pieces of unmatchable beauty that are highly appreciated and sought after by collectors and connoisseurs worldwide. Pottery has become a lifestyle for the whole Mata Ortiz community and the number of artists today is nearly four hundred. Mata Ortiz pots’ fame has crossed borders and reached the South American Continent, capturing the interest of the organizers of Contaf as to the materials and techniques used, and the people who make them.

Hence, they invited gallery owner and connoisseur Claudia Lovera to present this pottery at the convention. Claudia Lovera owns Mata Ortiz Art Gallery, located in the International Airport of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and has studied the village’s ceramics and the artistic, social phenomenon that revolves around it for over ten years. Potter Pabla Quezada, Juan Quezada’s niece, travels with her to Sao Paulo.

Claudia Lovera will give a lecture on the Mata Ortiz pottery, and Pabla will demonstrate the making, decorating and burning of a piece before the audience. Pabla Quezada is well known for the grace and femininity of her pieces which she decorates with organic motifs and for the black-on-black techniques she uses to attain unique creations.

An exhibition of the Mata Ortiz Art Gallery collection will be featured at the convention. The 2011 Contaf is organized by WR Fairs and Conventions, with the participation of Pascoal, a top purveyor of ceramic materials; the Brazilian Ceramic Association and the Federal University of Sao Joao del-Rei.