The quaint town of Oiba in Santander, with its colonial streets and the San Miguel Arcángel temple, sits atop a kaolin reserve that has made it famous for its miniature chapels, churches, and facades of rural homes crafted in ceramics—the souvenirs that many Colombians hang on their walls or stick to their refrigerators. Teresa de Jesús joined this artisanal tradition despite not growing up in a family of potters, and her talent for the craft was a delightful surprise, as was her ability to give a fresh twist to traditional pieces.

She was already familiar with kaolin, having spent years producing house paints and stucco alongside her husband, Joselín Mejía. They learned through experimentation, mixing kaolin from the mines with colored clays, and sold paints of varying durability until larger companies arrived and people opted for mass-produced house paints sold in buckets. As demand dwindled, Teresa found herself with more time for her hobbies and began investing more into ceramics.

Gradually, her acquaintances started noticing her work and began requesting pieces for purchase. At first, she made dolls, incense holders, and nativity scenes, which she described as looking rather rough. Like any dedicated potter, she refined her skills through practice, enduring the loss of pieces along the way, and enrolled in training at Sena while her husband learned about firing techniques and sourcing clay from nearby ravines, ensuring they could continue working together as they always had.

A previously unknown talent for drawing and ceramics awakened in Teresa de Jesús. In her creations, which provide a new take on typical church facades, rural houses, and balconies made with molds, the spirit of traditional pieces is still evident. She illustrates daily scenes from village life, including the church of Oiba and the surrounding houses, along with the people and their animals. She captures the landscape she knows and translates it into vases and planters. Additionally, she creates decorative virgins and rosaries made from large beads designed to adorn walls.

As she continues to experiment and is part of an association of women artisans from Socorro who work with kaolin from the Barro Blanco area, she shares everything she has learned. She has also honed her skills in producing Guane ceramics, which she replicates with attention and love. Everything she creates is promoted under the name Telus, in honor of the Roman goddess of the earth, connecting her back to the roots of her creativity.