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Maria de Jesus Martinez

"Hola. My name is María de Jesús Martínez Ayón and I was born in a small town in west central Mexico. I remember when I was a little girl, I'd spend long hours enjoying the colors and the beauty of our village. And I'd imagine how the houses and people in other parts of Mexico were.

"All throughout my childhood, I had the desire to see the world beyond my own neighborhood and I satisfied this wish through drawings. I've always liked to paint, but in those days there was no way I could leave home and study what I wanted.

"When I got married, my husband – a ceramicist who paints tableware by hand – lovingly taught me what kinds of paints, brushes and materials I should use and how to combine colors. I was able to bring to life both my memories and my imagination.

"Ever since, his lessons combine with my own restlessness for depicting the landscapes and tradition of our towns and people, the beauty of our fields and mountains."