We decided to try to find the ceramics studio of an Argentine ceramicist who had been recommended to me by my ceramics teacher. She said he was well known in the country for the ceramic musical instruments he creates. I found him on Instagram, and we had an address outside the small town of Miamara, one of the villages we saw from horseback the day before.
We drove into the very dusty town straight up a very steep hill about a half mile and parked near the address. No one was around except some kids and dogs playing. We saw no sign nor any house or street numbers (thank you Google maps!) and so right when I was about to knock on the door of the house I believed to be the address, a grey-bearded, thin man in maybe his early to mid-seventies opened the gate adjacent to the house. I introduced myself and he, Nadalino, and his wife, Milagros, invited us into their small, modest home. The front room displayed many beautiful ceramic pieces of all sorts—sculptures, bowls and cups– and in the corner was her wheel and a shelf with several items drying. The kitchen area contained several more. He showed us his studio in a room behind the house, the gas kiln they use, and the garden. Turns out that he works by hand and she on the wheel, and he was adamant about disabusing us of the notion that he is a well-known artist (hence the picture of the sign next to the door of his studio that features a question mark added by a friend of his).
We spent an enchanting 90 minutes chatting about pottery, poetry, music, various techniques they each employ, creativity, the essence of art and life in general, etc. Nadalino explained that his inspiration for pieces come from moments in time, fixed moments in time that he “saves” and then expresses in the pieces he creates. Also, every morning, he rises before the sun and takes a photo of the sun rising over the mountains from his patio.
We bought one of his unconventional drums that he makes in all sizes, a sculpture and several small, thrown items by Milagros. He offered us a glass of wine while he packed our pieces, we chatted some more and we exchanged contact information. Knox asked how people can possibly find their studio. Nadalino’s response was very emphatic: they only want to meet people who have a genuine interest in what they do. “If people want to find me,” he said, “they will find me.” And it was clear they cherish meeting people who are interested in art and creativity and discussing matters of poetry and music, etc. We took our leave, headed to the car and my phone rang. It was Nadalino! We had forgotten to pay, to arrange the transfer from our bank to theirs. And, we had forgotten a poem by Watanabe, written on a large piece of butcher paper that he had gifted Knox! So, we headed back up the hill and finalized payment, once more thanking them for such an amazing visit. Nadalino remarked that leaving with someone’s pieces without paying is sign of how good friends exchange art and ideas.
We had planned a lunch at a winery, called Viñedos Yacoraite, a half hour further north, not far from our hotel, recommended by the hikers from Rosario we had met several days earlier. They had raved about how amazing the whole experience was, and so we arrived, expecting a cool place and a good lunch, but we did not expect the spectacular setting, beneath the sacred mountain called La Pollera Coya o Meson de Yacoraite (literally, the skirt or table of Yacoraite) at 9500ft. The altitude was apparent as we parked and gazed up at the spectacular restaurant and cava built into the hill with views of the majestic mountain and surrounding vineyards. The land is sacred dating back to the Incas; the descendants believe, as their ancestors did, that the mountain protects them and their small community. Given the indigenous community’s ongoing conflict with the influence of outsiders and folks not associated with their larger families, it was interesting to see such a large, modern winery in the middle of their land. We wondered about the politics of someone with so much money buying the land, building and essentially inviting foreigners and tourism into a sacred place.
The lunch was four courses, paired with wine from the vineyards (made in the capital town of San Salvador). We learned it is one of the highest vineyards in the world! And, it was for sure one of the best lunches we have enjoyed during our time in Argentina. The chef, Maria Florencia Rodriguez, is well-known in Jujuy and it turned out she is also the head chef at another restaurant in Tilcara we were to eat at a few nights later.
A day unlike any other: amazing, magical and unexpected!
Link to Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ruVdjv4MArgQwMjt7