Biography of Maria Monasterio
I graduated in architecture from the University of Malaga and obtained a degree in pottery at the School of Arts and Crafts of San Telmo, Malaga. I continued my studies in ceramics by taking several courses with ceramists such as Kazuko Uga, Rafaela Pareja, Xavier Montsalvaje, Chisato Kuroki or Maria Bosch among others.
The potter’s wheel is my main tool, but I also use casts, slabs, by hand and under and over glaze decoration.
The brand María Monasterio Cerámica started in 2016 with the idea of elaborating quality ceramic craft pieces because we want to give life to this ancient discipline by combining it with new designs and ideas.
“I seek to surprise, amuse and delight with my work just as I surprise, amuse and delight with what I see and what I do, making the elements that are part of our daily lives not only useful but also make us enjoy.”
In the first two years I focused more on the artistic part by participating in some exhibitions, competitions and design fairs. But from 2019 I specialized in the design and elaboration of tableware for restaurants. Since then I have worked with prominent restaurants, some of them with Michelin Star, all over Spain. Among them, Lasarte Barcelona, Messina Marbella, Takumi Marbella, Kuoco in Madrid, Kaleja in Malaga, Etxeko Ibiza or Fusion 19 in Mallorca.
I have also participated in conferences at the International Summit on Handcraft and Tourism, I have given courses at the Picasso Museum in Malaga, as well as courses and lectures at the University of Malaga. I have been interviewed by newspapers such as Sur, or ABC in relation to my work for restaurants, and by specialized magazines.
In the year 2023 the company has taken a turn, becoming MARÍA MONASTERIO CERAMIC STUDIO as it has grown, now with more employees, new production lines and expanding our proposals to achieve an increasingly sustainable company.
Values
SUSTAINABILITY as one of our fundamental pillars, which is becoming more and more important in the company. Much of the packaging we use is recycled or made from recycled materials. We do not throw away any substance, for this reason we have launched new lines where we reuse waste material.
RESPONSIBILITY, RESPECT and CLOSENESS to our customers, within the company and to our environment. We are a small company, where we like to treat our customers in a personal and close way, always with respect. We are people working for people.
QUALITY. We do our work in the best possible way while maintaining high quality standards. We pay attention to detail in all parts of the process to offer a handcrafted product of exquisite quality.
Constant CREATIVITY and LEARNING. We don’t like to stand still. We are constantly creating new designs, new ways of working, new paths. We learn with each new project we do as well as from the people we meet, and from the courses we continue to take, because we never tire of exploring and investigating this “world” of ceramics.
