He grew up surrounded by handcrafted wares. His father traveled around South America for work and his mother always liked manual labor. Thus, his childhood was spent between Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. At some point, however, he finally arrived in Colombia. His love for ceramics was born in Bogotá thanks to a kindergarten teacher who made him play with clay. There began his fascination with his trade, which has led to him traveling the country and discovering everything ceramics has to offer.

One day he went to Ráquira. There, he visited Doña Leopoldina Osorio’s workshop and immediately got transported 500 years into the past. Although he had some knowledge of the trade and was, at the time, studying industrial design, the ones who taught him the technique were Doña Leopoldina Osorio and some of her master craftswomen colleagues. He went through this process first in Boyacá, then in Huila, and lastly in Santander. He spent more than 15 years marveling at the “shards” in each region and understanding that the use of ceramics has deep roots within our culture.

It lets us remember our ancestors through ocarina rituals and transport water in amphorae as they do in La Guajira. It is used in the gastronomy of the country’s southern regions in the shape of cassava toasters or the Chamba tolimense’s black casseroles where ajiaco and bandeja paisa are served. Moreover, it is used to craft magnificent ornamental wares.

With this newfound knowledge and a firm desire to go to Italy and study design, at the age of 33, his life took a turn. He met María Paula Giraldo, who won him over and became his accomplice in developing his project: the Magma Cerámica workshop. They live in the heart of the Candelaria neighborhood in Bogotá, surrounded by glazes and their pottery wheel. Their commitment to contemporary ceramics has them constantly researching new trends.

However, they always keep in mind that nature itself is the one that shows them the way. For instance, some sea urchin remains found in the middle of the desert in La Guajira became the inspiration for a line of stunning lamps they made. Their hearts guide them, and their hands shape those feelings. Diego, now in his sixties, has been awarded the Medalla a la Maestría Artesanal (Crafts Mastery Medal). His greatest treasure is knowing that he continues to spread the knowledge that so many others handed over to him. This is how he honors them.