The pottery tradition of Marratxí dates back four centuries, but only five months ago the brand ‘Cerámica de Marratxí’ –‘Marratxí Ceramics’- was established to unify the promotion and dissemination of the artistic, commercial and tourist aspects of ceramics in the municipality. The objective is to bring together and enhance all the initiatives that are part of Marratxí ceramics, such as the Fira del Fang, the Museum, the School of Ceramics or the Biennial, as well as for creators, producers and potters to act under the same label.
Photos: Ayuntamiento de Marratxí.
“It is a very beautiful and necessary initiative. With this brand we make ourselves known, it gives value to our handcrafted pieces and we can differentiate ourselves. When they talk about artisans, they put us in the same boat and everything that has come in from China made with a mold has been devastating. In this way, people will be aware that when they buy a piece of handicraft they are buying a unique piece and that there will be no other like it”, explains Elionor Amengual, a potter from Can Bernadí.
The label, which has its own website, ceramicademarratxi.es, will have an annual promotion strategy to position local ceramics as a benchmark on the island and, in addition, highlight the modernizing process undertaken by potters in their creations.
Modernity
The pottery sector of Marratxí has been able to combine its centuries-old tradition with updating to new trends, colors and designs. Customers can customize their pieces, track their order and make changes through applications such as whatsapp. Social networks, especially Instagram, have become a ‘springboard’ to connect tradition with modernity without losing the hallmarks. “Young people ask us for current pieces, full of color and original,” explains Elionor Amengual. Pep Serra, from Terra Cuita, corroborates. “Customization is what sets us apart. The customer who is looking for a specialized product ends up in their stores because they value quality and what is native”.
The brand ‘Cerámica de Marratxí’ aims to assert itself abroad in order to differentiate local ceramics from standardized industrial products that are a poor copy of Marratxí crafts. It also intends to vindicate itself internally. On the island and before the new generations, the aim is to enhance the pride of the pottery tradition, the creator of a quality product both for domestic kitchens and in hotels, restaurants and institutions.
Fira del Fang
The new brand has made a good start. In March, the XXXVII Fira del Fang 2022 was held, the first under the ‘Cerámica de Marratxí’ brand, after two years of postponements and closures because of the pandemic. This edition has been baptized as the Renaissance thanks to the great presence of the public. The visitors arrived “eager to buy” and took home unique and unrepeatable artisan pieces. “By buying the artisan products that they have made with their hands, we take with us a small part of all of them, their time, their wisdom, their way of expressing themselves and interpreting the world. And this has a price, but above all it has a value, and it is a very great value”, assured the mayor of Marratxí in the opening speech of the Fira.
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