According to legend, a newly married woman was visited by the gray clay spirit long ago, offering to assist her. The customs of her Cubeo community dictated that women should be skilled in clay artisanal trades so they could create the pots, plates, and vessels for their homes once married. However, this particular woman was unfamiliar with clay techniques, and no one was willing to teach her. One day, while the entire community was busy with their daily tasks, leaving her alone in the maloca with the clay she was expected to work with, the gray clay spirit appeared. Seeing her struggles, the spirit offered its help. They spent less than an hour creating all the necessary vessels, and the woman even learned how to polish them using a stone and received instructions on the firing process. When she turned to thank the spirit, it had vanished.

Luz Mary’s mother, Leticia Gutierrez, often recounted this story, explaining that in the past, aluminum pots weren’t available, so women had to craft their own vessels. If a woman lacked knowledge in clay work, the community would unite to share this ancestral wisdom passed down through generations. However, Luz Mary inherited her knowledge of clay work from her mother-in-law, Rosalba Pulido, and community elders like Matilde Gutiérrez. They taught her to mix clay with the ashes of the joropena tree’s bark to prevent breakage or cracking during firing. Luz Mary learned the coil technique for shaping pieces, allowing intervals of drying between coils, and polishing them with a rock before the firing process.

Initiating her ceramics journey in 2003 alongside a group of apprentices, Luz Mary and her companions initially used gray clay found in crevices an hour away from their community. As they became more familiar with the material, they discovered red clay just half an hour away, and later found white clay just ten minutes away. Subsequently, more people from their community have shown interest in learning ceramics, including Luz Mary’s five children. Together, they craft both decorative and utilitarian pieces. Notably, the difference lies in the smoke-firing process that renders a piece food-safe. Using the juice of a special leaf, they smoke the pieces and fire them a second time, sealing the pores.

Luz Mary particularly favors white clay for its final color and the glossy finish it provides when used as slip for painting over other colors. Visitors to their community, Puerto Golondrina, keen on learning about artisanal trades and working with clay, often show a preference for white clay as well. Beyond their ceramic craftsmanship, guests can indulge in traditional food like quiñapira, a chili and fish soup, or explore unique flavors such as casabe, mojojoy, or manibara ants. If you happen to visit Vaupés between March and April, we highly recommend trying seasonal fruits like mirití, patabá, or acaí served in a traditional chibé—a fermented beverage made with fariña and water.