Although she was not born in Chiquinquirá and not in Ráquira, she proudly considers herself a born-and-raised Raquireña. This is true to the point that she has trained herself to promote tourism to this town of Boyacá she adores. Leidy married young and learn pottery together with her husband, Hernán Páez, who was already a potter by tradition. This craft, which she has already mastered and thoroughly enjoys practicing, has allowed her to send her two kids to school.

Husband and wife combined their efforts and set up a workshop 12 years ago. It is located a block and a half away from Ráquira’s main square. In said workshop, Hernán can make 100 pots per hour thanks to his skill with the pottery wheel. They can also produce about 100 lamps every month that Leidy decorates with multiple types of openwork, everyday objects, and replicas of famous sports venues, monuments, and bullrings from around the world. They also do demonstrations and often lend their facilities to other craftspeople so they can bake and finish their work.

Leidy clearly understands how local crafting processes and handcrafted wares have improved and expanded over time. That is why the times when Ráquira only offered clay donkeys or chorotes for the kitchen more than twenty years ago seem to her like a distant memory. She likes how clay is worked today: how the raw materials are taken care of, how designs are always innovative and new. Potters nowadays, for instance, are much more skilled in representing nature in their wares. This has made it so the town can continue to be a captivating place for many people.

The opportunity of showing these processes is what she likes most about her proposal regarding crafts tourism. She is convinced that people will only understand the worth of each handcrafted ware they acquire when they witness the incredible amount of work and time behind every single one of them.

It is amazing to listen to her talk about how much she loves what she does. It is mesmerizing to hear her explain her technique in detail and introduce the three women who work by her side and who have also been able to raise their children thanks to clay. This great family of craftspeople keeps their trade alive and preserves the smell of clay is so emblematic of their town.