La Chamba,
 Colombia

THE MAKING OF OUR OVUM POTS

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Photography by our dear friend Andrea Tamayo

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LA CHAMBA is a small village located along the banks of the Magdalena River in central Colombia. The clay pots made here date back centuries and the ancient pottery skills have been passed down the family line for generations - from harvesting the clay, to making the clay pots and vessels, to the firing process. Over the years, techniques have changed and evolved with the advancement of technologies, though human hands, consciousness and community still lead the making and creation. We are honoured to be offering these works with you.

The clay used to make the pots is rich in mica, a mineral that give the clay pots a strong and durable nature, allowing them to be used for cooking. It is dug locally by the community who are the traditional peoples of the area, living in close connection with the land and waters. The clay pots are usually made by the women in the community, where they are moulded and shaped then left to dry on racks in the sun. Then the vessels are coated with a terracotta clay slip, a balm made of clay and water that gives the vessels a natural glazed protection. Once the slip has dried, they are hand-polished with stones to smooth the surface and give them a glow. These tasks may be done by the men.

The firing is operated by the men. The clay pots are stacked into large steel drums and are heated by gas. Horse manure is added into the drums and then they are covered and as the horse manure burns off, the carbon gives the pots their signature black tone. In the earlier days, these pots were fired in earthen kilns heated by wood.

The broken or damaged vessels are recycled by being crushed into a fine powder which is then mixed into fresh clay to be made into future clay pots or works.

Once the clay pots and vessels have been fired and checked for cracks and defects, they are packed and stored away ready to be shipped to us here on Bundjalung Country in Byron Bay, Australia. We use only eco-friendly packaging for the shipment; cardboard and egg cartons protect the vessels during the shipment, which we then re-use.
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Madre Beatriz & her family are potters and custodians of La Chamba. Astrid is her daughter, who can make 50 to 150 plates each day. She works with music in the background and her hands craft the vessels effortlessly which comes with years of practice. Her husband Noel applies the clay slip, polishes the vessels and managers their drying process.

Ivan, Astrid's husband

Madre and her husband, Noel Beatriz

Cade McConnell

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We acknowledge the Arakwal, Widjabal and Minjungbal people of the Bundjalung Nation, where we work and live. We honour their innate connection to the land and waters.

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