Nicolás Fabián Fermín & María del Rosario Lucas
Bautista: Fire, Clay, and the Spirit of Santa Fe de la Laguna

In the lakeside village of Santa Fe de la Laguna, where the ancient pulse of the Purépecha culture still beats strong, the workshop of Nicolás Fabián Fermín and María del Rosario Lucas Bautista radiates warmth—not just from the open wood-fired kiln, but from the deep partnership that fuels their life and art.

Together, this husband-and-wife duo creates some of the region’s most evocative traditional ceramics, preserving techniques passed down through generations while continuing to refine and evolve them with every new piece. Their hands know the clay of the region intimately—the way it reacts to water, fire, and air—and their home studio is a testament to how family, tradition, and creativity can become one.

Nicolás specializes in shaping the forms—pitchers, incense burners, cazuelas, and decorative figures—with a practiced ease that comes from decades of experience. His touch is guided by memory as much as by instinct, drawing on the Purépecha ceramic language that has endured in Santa Fe de la Laguna for centuries. María del Rosario, meanwhile, brings each piece to life with intricate, hand-painted designs: stylized birds, flowers, geometric borders, and ancestral patterns, often painted in fine detail with natural mineral pigments.
Their artistic process is fully collaborative and deeply rooted in family tradition. Both artisans come from long lines of potters, and they view their work not only as livelihood but as cultural stewardship. Over the years, their creations have been featured in regional artisan fairs, and they have represented Santa Fe in various exhibitions dedicated to Purépecha identity and Michoacán’s heritage arts.

What sets their work apart is the care they take at each stage—from mixing and preparing the local clay to carefully firing each piece in a traditional underground kiln, where temperatures
are judged by experience rather than thermometers. The result is a body of work that holds the warmth of fire, the memory of earth, and the voices of ancestors.
Their pieces are often found adorning homes throughout the region and beyond—functional yet ceremonial, everyday yet spiritual. In their studio, art is not separate from life: children play nearby, stories are told, and knowledge is shared freely with the next generation. For Nicolás and María del Rosario, the act of making is also an act of teaching.
“El barro es nuestra historia,” says María del Rosario. “Y cada pieza que hacemos es como contarla otra vez.” (“Clay is our history. And each piece we make is like telling it again.”)

In a time when many traditional crafts face extinction, Nicolás Fabián Fermín and María del Rosario Lucas Bautista stand as keepers of a vital lineage—grounded in land, shaped by love, and fired with purpose. Their ceramics don’t just hold water or food—they hold stories. And in every curve and brushstroke, you can feel the presence of Santa Fe de la Laguna—past, present, and enduring.

Feria Maestros del Arte 2012, 2024, 2025

ARTIST INFORMATION:

Curatame Santa Fe, Quiroga, Michoacan 58433

cel 44 3394 7546
nicolasfabianfermin62@gmail.com
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