CERAMICS AND WOOD: GUILLERMO JAVIER DE LAMA
“Nature has always been present in my work. Ceramics and wood coexist in my creations until, naturally, they take separate paths.”
I trained in professional workshops in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), marking the beginning of a career focused on clay and wood. Teaching is one of my passions; I enjoy giving classes to children and adults, awakening in them the joy of creating and developing their imagination through clay. For over 30 years, I have taught ceramics in my own workshops, as well as in schools and camps. I have participated in numerous exhibitions in Guadalajara, Madrid, and France, in addition to organizing and exhibiting at fairs. I have been selected and awarded on several occasions. Currently, I continue my educational work at the new Sigüenza School of Art.
View Guillermo Javier de Lama’s CV here.
CERAMICS: JUAN RIVERO RODRÍGUEZ
I was fortunate to start as an apprentice to sculptor and ceramicist Paloma Marggi, who encouraged me to enroll in the Official School of Ceramics in Madrid. It was then that I discovered Bernard Leach’s A Potter’s Book, whose vision of reviving traditional pottery and blending it with Eastern techniques ignited my passion for this art.
Since then, I have combined teaching with crafting utilitarian pieces and fostering collective projects in rural settings. I work with pottery using the wheel and slab roller, decorating with image transfers, sgraffito, and painting with slips and oxides. I am interested in experimental firings with wood and raku. In collaborative projects, we focus on tile work, overglaze decoration, and terracotta murals through participatory action-research processes.
View Juan Rivero Rodríguez´s CV here.
TEXTILE DESIGN: NOÉ LÓPEZ DE MIGUEL
At the age of seven, he began taking ceramics classes with Guillermo de Lama in Madrid, sparking his interest in the world of arts and design. After finishing high school, he focused his studies on design, pursuing textile design at IED Madrid (Instituto Europeo de Diseño) and the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam.
After several years working as a garment and textile designer for companies such as Stars Souvenirs (Amsterdam) and Mango (Barcelona), he returned to Madrid and started his freelance career, opening a textile workshop where he produced textiles and screen prints for third parties.
In 2023, he joined CAT, where he rekindled his passion for pottery, collaborating once again with master craftsman Guillermo de Lama. In addition to participating in the studio’s courses and productions, he also takes on responsibilities such as poster design, graphic design, social media management, and various administrative tasks.
View Noé López de Miguel´s CV here.
CARPENTRY AND WOODWORKING: MARIANO GARRIDO RIVAS
“Wood is a material with infinite possibilities; the only limit is our imagination.”
I studied art and design at the La Palma School of Art in Madrid and began working as a carpenter and cabinetmaker in a small workshop, where I learned the trade’s secrets. For 30 years, I have worked with wood on various projects, from small handcrafted pieces to large coffered ceilings. I have been both a self-employed carpenter and an employee in different companies within the sector.
Currently, I am a Vocational Training Instructor for Employment, teaching modules in the Wood and Cork family in Castilla-La Mancha. I have also worked as a job coach for people with disabilities at the Las Encinas Association in Guadalajara. Today, I teach carpentry in courses and workshops on toy-making, musical instruments, geodesic domes, carving, turning, and restoration.
View Mariano Garrido Rivas´ CV here.
BOOKBINDING AND BOOK RESTORATION: CARLOS GARCÍA BERMEJO
“Bookbinding emerged to preserve and protect documents. It is an art that should not be forgotten, like so many other trades.”
I am a conservator specialized in Graphic Documents from the Higher School of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage in Madrid. I combine this knowledge with the practice of artisanal bookbinding. I create all kinds of bindings, both artistic and those intended for book preservation, protecting them from deterioration.
In the field of conservation-restoration, I work with books, drawings, parchments, engravings, fans, and leathers. After years in the field, in 2000 I joined “Encuadernación Luna,” one of Madrid’s oldest artisanal bookbinding businesses. In 2005, I founded my own workshop, promoting bookbinding from an independent artisanal identity. That same year, the Madrid Chamber of Commerce and Industry awarded me the diploma of “Traditional Madrid Artisan 2005: Bookbinder-Restorer.”
View Carlos García Bermejo´s CV, click here.
TAPESTRIES: PLÁCIDO GUIMARAES (POCHO)
“My tapestries, with an abstract-lyrical-symbolic language, experiment and intertwine motifs, visual, and tactile sensations.”
Pocho continues the textile tradition of Equatorial Guinea, passed down through generations. A disciple of Grau-Garriga, he incorporates African fabrics, old newspapers, and discarded materials into his work. Each piece reflects his environment and history: his political dissent, his community’s customs, and the fight against inequalities.
Exiled since the age of 19, he lived in Spain and Kyiv. Between 2005 and 2019, he returned to Equatorial Guinea, where he reconnected with his roots through rituals and traditional symbols. His materials include fishing nets, plastics, wood, and cans, giving his tapestries volume and expressiveness. He has participated in exhibitions since 1984 and currently resides in Lanjarón (Granada).
View Plácido Guimaraes´CV (Pocho) here. He passed away on February 28th, 2025.
TEXTILES: BLANCA BERRIO
“The workshops I conduct are about ‘circular knowledge transmission.’ I learn from my students, assimilate their contributions, and incorporate them into my creative process.”
Since 2012, I have been professionally dedicated to the creative textile sector. My 24 years of experience working in a multinational market research company complement my training in various textile techniques. I teach teachers, educators, and beginners, adapting methodologies to each artistic stage.
My workshop in Sigüenza is the hub of my activity, although I also conduct training in nearby towns. My work focuses on designing and crafting textiles for functional or artistic use. If the piece is for exhibition, I use recycled materials or remnants from previous projects; if it has a practical use, I work with new textiles such as cotton, wool, or linen. My goal is to preserve and revitalize textile traditions, primarily passed down by women in rural settings.
Since 2016, I have organized the “SIGÜENZA TEXTIL – Tradition and Heritage” exhibition in Sigüenza.
View Blanca Berrio´s CV here.
