Splendors of Oaxacan Art

Making pottery is an ancient craft and art form in Mexico that continues to the present day. Archaeological evidence shows that pottery production was already plentiful in pre-Columbian Mexico, though styles, materials, and uses have changed since then.

The craft of pottery making has changed and adapted to suit both aesthetic and functional needs. Over time, each region has shaped pottery that exhibits a distinct local flavor in subject, design, materials, etc. In a way, Mexican pottery has come to perfectly represent what is meant by “popular” or “folk art”: art crafted by the hands of the people, for the people, from the land of the people. 

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.