Galician crafts-Unzueta Ceramics

It's time to get back to blogging, right? Instagram is great, but sometimes I can't seem to get enough time to tell you all the things I want to, so I said, what if I get back to blogging? Well, I'm back. :)

Those of you who know me and Real Fábrica know that my favorite part of my job is traveling around empty Spain, or as I call it, fortunate Spain, to visit my artisans and also to find new ones who make jewelry from the craftsmanship that I can bring to the store.

In February, with my new van (this deserves a whole other post just for it), I went to Galicia to visit some of the artisans we have in the "terriña."

The first time I arrived in Galicia, my heart beat strongly, with the number of artisans and products I found, so much so that, today, 10 years later, I believe that what Galicia has is unique and in my opinion, it is thanks in part to the Galician character: being at home with the lareiras, manual labor, working slowly, perfectionism... all of this makes Galician craftsmanship very special, so why not start my 2022 travels here.

During lockdown (wow, it seems like ages ago), I asked the artisans to record videos of us telling us how they worked. Nano initially said no, but he recorded one, then another... and he liked it so much that we've been inspired and now have a YouTube channel . Honestly, I'm not surprised because he knows so much about ceramics and glazes, and he also has a gift for communication.

On her channel, she offers many tips, from how to make a handle using the traditional milking technique to, for example, how to decorate with a antler or pear. Her videos showcase her handcrafted work, and I can honestly say they're very interesting. Check them out.

Since arriving in Galicia from Eibar, Nano hasn't stopped exploring. He makes his own kilns like a true artisan, learned the Oleiros pottery technique, and not content with that, he traveled to New Zealand, where he developed a unique glazing technique that makes his pieces so enchanting to all.

Since it was Real Fábrica's tenth anniversary, we wanted to do something special, so we called Jimena de Volvoreta to join us and capture the wonder of these crafts. I can tell you one thing: we were a success. Jimena's photos are as spectacular as the work of our artisans.

If you're still hungry for more, I'm posting stories on Instagram about my trips and some really fun videos.