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Marzesa

"I'm Marleni Arellano Zeta, but in the artistic world I'm known as Marzesa, which is a combination of my names. I was born in Chulucanas on April 16, 1970, and am a self-taught artisan.

"However my work is not improvised. At the same time I was learning my craft, I studied computerized accounting, marketing and foreign trade. But from the time I was a child, I always wanted to do something that was 'mine.' I wanted 'to grow, to be successful by myself.' And that's how I entered this world of art. My father died when I was 12 and, with eight brothers and sisters, I needed to think of a way to get ahead and be able to help out.

"Although no one in my family is an artisan, I love this world. My sister helped me finish my studies and I got a job with a big company. But that all ended one day when I decided to seek other horizons. I decided to try my luck in the capital. With only five soles in my pocket and a bottled soft drink, I got a ride in a fruit truck filled with limes.

"From 1987, I had inclinations toward ceramics when a friend taught me the secrets of clay. I went to his workshop and I discovered that ceramics were more important to me. However I understood that it wasn't only about ceramics, the manual art and creation, but the whole culture. I determined that the ceramics of Chulucanas are a part of our ancient Vicus culture and I was very interested in learning how this art has been transmitted from generation to generation. This is unique. And I became better acquainted with the technique – it is exclusive and special.

"After many years of work and experience, my creations were recognized in the Rainforest Gala Gallery in Houston, and the exhibition traveled throughout the U.S., Germany, Spain and France.

"In my workshop, each detail is something to be studied – for example, when a piece came out a perfect black. No one knew why and so we investigated more and more until we discovered just how to play with the smoke.

"My 'clay jewels,' as I call them, are a part of the art of Chulucanas. I offer them to the four cardinal directions as cultural ambassadors of my homeland."

In the classic style of Chulucanas, a piece is shaped it on a potter's wheel and fired in a wood-burning kiln. The piece is decorated by hand using engobe (colored slip or liquid clay). A controlled smoking process using dried mango leaves achieves the dark tones. Finally, the piece is waxed and polished.

Hand-crafted ceramics such as this are entirely unique – not even the artisan can recreate one. Occasionally they may show color inconsistencies, porosity, or asymmetrical brushstrokes, but this only confirms their originality and authenticity.