Description

Alfonso Castillo Orta (1944 – January 2009) was a Mexican potter from the ceramics town of Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla, whose work made the ceramics of this area internationally known. This is a catrina tree of life candelabra, a signature piece of Castillo Orta and his family. The catrina is a symbol of Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a theme of many Castillo Orta pieces. This candelabra was sculpted in local clay and fired in a wood kiln. After firing, the candelabra is coated in a white paint that served as the background then decorative elements are added with tempura paints using natural pigments such as indigo for blue and cochineal for red. The pieces are capricious and with a sense of irony, reflecting influence from José Guadalupe Posada.