
I am a Filipino artisan whose work is shaped by the elemental rhythms of nature — fire, water, air, and earth — in their cycles of transformation, renewal, and decay. Before turning to clay in the studio, I spent years as a humanitarian in communities scarred by war, disaster, and displacement. It was there, amid the rubble and recovery of daily life, that my journey in ceramics truly began.
I often encountered handmade vessels woven into survival — water jars carried from wells, cooking pots blackened by open fires, bowls passed from hand to hand. These humble objects were more than functional; they embodied continuity, resilience, and memory. I carried those impressions with me, and they became the ground from which my own practice grew.
Later, I trained in Florence, Italy, where I deepened my understanding of clay — its form, its alchemy, and its transformations. That foundation now shapes my work in France, where I focus primarily on porcelain — a material at once fragile and strong, luminous yet resilient, much like the human stories that first drew me to clay.
In my studio, I incorporate both hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques, guided by a sense of connection to the earth and its cycles. Each piece begins with clay drawn from the ground, shaped, dried, and transformed by fire. In my saggar firings, I enclose forms with leaves, flowers, and minerals gathered after their season has passed, allowing fire to inscribe its own story on the surface.