“OPEN FIRES” features the latest explorations by Liliana Ovalle and Colectivo 1050º around the firing process used in vernacular ceramics in Oaxaca, Mexico. The project comprises a variety of exercises where clay pieces are fired in particular geometric setups created with sand, dung and agave leaves. Each composition acquires black traces of smoke and coal, a permanent imprint of the fire they were exposed to.

The clay pieces were formed by the artisans Mujeres del Barro Rojo, a family of female ceramists in Tlapazola who inherited ancestral local techniques for utilitarian red clay pottery, a craft that is nowadays struggling to endure. An initial open fire, traditionally used in the region, hardens the pieces and makes them stable. All the materials used in the clay and the firing process are sourced locally by the artisans.

The vases are designed with flat extensions that are used to place dung and other combustible materials to create a small contained fire. The imprinted black traces remain as an indication of the intensity and direction of the flames. 

The plates (Comales), based on the traditional cooking plate comal, are partially masked with sand. The remaining area is covered with dung and agave leaves that combust into an open fire. The resulting pieces display a contrast between intense black smoked tones and bare red clay. In a similar process to the plates, the cylinders are partially dug into a pile of sand in a vertical and horizontal position. The final pieces are marked with a defined line along the interior and exterior of the shapes, depending on the position they were set up for the fire.

The solo exhibition is accompanied by a series of illustrations portraying the making process. The prints were produced specially for the occasion as a It’s Great Design edition.