A Devotion to Service: María Cano
In the 88th episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown is in Bogotá, Colombia, in February of 2025, recording from the home and studio of visual artist and ceramist María Cano. It’s the last day of Sarah’s visit to Bogotá, and she’s finally following up on an introduction made by previous Perceived Value guest Ana María Jiménez. María is a close friend of Ana’s, and Ana knew they'd have plenty to talk about. After inviting Sarah to her studio in the Chapinero neighborhood for coffee, María agreed to an interview.
The two new acquaintances talk about María’s creative practice, Salvaje, and the commercial and artistic sides of making a living through ceramics. They discuss her interest in wild clay and its connection to landscape and place, her work with communities to learn and preserve traditional ceramic techniques, and the winding path that led her to ceramics after studying production design for film and television in London.
Maria Cano is a visual artist and ceramicist who develops her practice through the exploration of materials, researching their relationship with the landscape and the communities organized around it.
Through cultural exchange, Maria has been in contact with several traditional communities in Colombia, calling for the documentation and preservation of ancient ceramic techniques. She has also sought opportunities for knowledge exchange both locally and internationally.
In recent years, she has dedicated herself to researching, understanding, and building different types of kilns to transform clay into ceramics. Her studio, Salvaje, aims to create a dialogue between traditional techniques and contemporary art and design.
María’s recent publication: tinajeras de barro y río
Follow our guest: @_salvaje_
