Emmanuel Maldonado (b. 1952) Nicaraguan, Colorful Pottery. Red, blue, and yellow lines, shapes, and animal figures on top, stark black on bottom. Signed with origin given on underside. 

Size: 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 5 3/4 in. 

#4086 . 

Emmanuel Maldonado was born in 1952 in San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua. Over 80% of the villagers there were dedicated to producing ceramics, using a specific brownish clay that could be found at a certain strata beneath the nearby hills surrounding the town. Maldonado began exploring pottery at an early age, taught the basic techniques by his stepfather Helio Guttierez. By the time he was twelve he had far surpassed Guttierez and was known throughout the region for his elaborate, eye-catching, brightly-colored creations. In the 1970s he began traveling internationally, representing Nicaragua at worldwide exhibitions and winning awards in American, England, Panama, and Costa Rica. In 1995 several of his pieces were purchased by the Smithsonian, an exhibition which led to both an increase of tourism and ceramic production in the area as visitors from around the world sought out his workshop and original pieces. At the Beaux Arts Festival in Miami, Florida in 2015 he won second place in pottery, which led to a series of exhibitions throughout the East Coast of the United States as well as England and Spain. Today he continues to work out of his home studio, and his pieces can be found in museums, galleries, and private collections across the globe.