Day after day, María José "La Molina" works at her home - studio in the city of Cuenca, creating her own ceramic paste, teaching pottery and working on her own art. 

“It hasn’t been easy since I am back in Ecuador but I worked my way through it”

Could you share with us a bit about what’s been your path as an artist?
The first thing that comes to my mind is my art teacher. Around when I was 8 years old, he made us draw a black and white dog and when I finished, he looked at me in the eye, he shook my hand and said “you’re an artist”. I always remember him. His name was Marco. Also, my music teacher used to play the Accordion in such a beautiful way that I used to cry anytime I listened to those songs... Probably my school was the first place in which my love for art was first honed. It was such a great school, back then we had leaders guiding us to become great human beings, but also my parents had a very important role on this path because they were always very happy and encouraging about my creations therefore, art in any form naturally became something that really stuck with me throughout life. Since my childhood, art has always been part of my life. Always leaning to music, painting and performative art but as I got to grow it has not been easy. I never studied Art at university and my training has always been about practicing and mastering skills. The way I see the world it’s hasn’t been always the way others see it and therefore much of the time I feel I do not belong to certain societies and places.

When and how did your La Molina – Clay project start?

The idea was in my head a year ago and it all started out of sheer necessity. When I returned to Ecuador, the local ceramic paste was not suitable for my work and sourcing material from abroad it is complicated and very expensive, so I decided to became independent in this manner. I just had to study about the process and then create my own pasta.

It is beautiful to see how your art is influenced by your travels and explorations in nature. What destination (place) has deeply inspired you?
BROOKLYN, without thinking it twice. This authentic city inspired me not to create objects but to reinvent myself and explore all the possibilities of being and seeing. Thanks to that city, I am the woman I am today, good or bad in the eyes of anyone, and that personality is what translates into an object.

Did you move to New York to study and train as a potter? What did you learn during that time? 
I really moved to New York to start from scratch a new life. I never thought I would learn the art of clay. About 3 years of living there, this initiative of learning and working with clay was born in me. I then became a student in a pottery studio in SunsetPark, Brooklyn and learned all the building techniques.

We know that during the pandemic you were living for a time in Salinas, Ecuador. How did you feel in that space?
Well, I felt free, at peace and I liked being a bit isolated, plus the hot weather suits me well. The beach is the beach ... you eat deliciously, you sleep with the sound of the sea. I congratulate GOD for creating green banana and my people from the coast. THANK YOU infinitely for cooking it in all possible ways ... I was happy to meet new people who are still in my life but regarding my work I felt very worried because daily living on the beach is too slow.

Yes, in general I think that routine is important at work. What I do is wake up at 6:30 am to run, go back to bathe, change, have a good breakfast and have my cup of coffee, which is the most important ritual of the day. Then I check my calendar, the day's tasks and voila, I work until I'm done. Well, obviously I’m not the most centered and focused person in the universe. Actually, I’m easily distracted even in the most random way. For example, a little bug comes out nowhere and I have to stop doing what I'm doing to go see what is happening with that. My dogs also love to play and that’s time that means another of my daily priorities that unavoidably interrupts my work but then my concentration organically returns and I have to continue working.





What kind of materials do you use? we know that you create your own ceramic paste.

I use natural clays and chemical compounds to create it. Here in Ecuador, we do not have options for ceramic pastes to burn at high temperatures. For this reason, I decided to create my own, to facilitate my work.

From what I have been able to see in photographs of your work, I see a great interest in femininity, in other cultures, the Andean, organic forms. What topics do you consider relevant in your practice?
I’m interested and attracted by the ethnic groups of each country and the pure representation of their culture. I appreciate how they look, how they speak and how they think. I’m simply inspired by their image. I also believe it is important to highlight a firm presence of women with my sculptures without leaving aside our sensuality.

Visually speaking I like all parts of the body, I can't see one without looking at the other, but I think the mouth and the smile expression are the ones that captivate me the most.

The relationship you keep with your clothes, is that something important to you?

Yes, it is very important to me. The wardrobe defines great part of our culture and is also a medium where your personality manifests itself.

What do you think of a person's style? Do you feel that you lean towards one in particular?
I love when people wear authenticity. I don't care what clothes they are wearing, what I like to see is how they show their personality through their daily outfit. I like to dress depending on what I am feeling during the day, I really don't know how to define my style though.

How would you describe LAIS AND ACALIA?
For me Lais y Acalia is a brand that highlights the sensuality of women in a very subtle and natural way. The brand creates garments that you can wear on any occasion and I really love that.




How do you think we can better inspire women to be confident in their bodies throughout the different phases of life?
Women have various stages with their bodies. There are phases that occur by nature and we have to accept them. Now, the subject of acceptance of our bodies is extensive, first and foremost there are people, not only women in different shapes and sizes, but also with physical disabilities and to better inspire confidence in women around the subject of our bodies in general; I believe that recognizing, showing and representing in all the ways possibly, what exists in our surroundings is a very good first step towards that kind of conversation.

With regard to fitting in with the stereotype of a good or “bad body”, I would honestly say that it depends a lot on how you really feel. How do you see yourself in a mirror, do you like what you see? Do you feel healthy? I believe that the only reason worth it for you to change your body in any way is health in general and nothing else. Forget about the superficial comments of random people that doesn't know you. If you, as the owner of that body decide to lose weight or gain weight or have any other kind of alteration in your body because of general health reasons, then go for it. When your body and mind feel healthy you will be inspired by that state you created.

Do you have a ritual of creativity and inspiration? What inspires your art?
I don't have rituals to inspire me but from time to time I prefer to go on a trip to visit and see places that give me different and new kind of feelings.

What would be your advice to anyone looking to align with their own creative essence?
People think they are not creative, but creativity or "creating", that’s something we are doing every day. We create thoughts, feelings, conversations, lies, excuses, business plans, incredible sandwiches with two ingredients that you have in your empty refrigerator as a single woman, you forgot your toothbrush and you use your fingers to put the paste in your mouth. We are always creating a solution during situations that arise in daily life. Creativity is not always linked to art and we have to start from that thought to understand that our essence as a human being is already creative; hence it will take its own natural course according to who you are and what you do best.

Just to end up, we would like to ask you about your phase of teaching pottery, and selling your work. What was it like to make the leap from making and teaching art for a living?
For the first time I felt that there was something that did it excellently. I do not feel bad for saying it, I’m excellent at what I do, and that feeling of pride in myself prompted me to create this business, because I had the conviction that everything would be fine. "Are you going to live on cups?" That's what a girl who made fun of me told me, look at me now!! I did it and I am happy as hell.



Photography by Drita Studio.