Tonalá, Jalisco, México

Ángel Santos Juárez is a Mexican artisan and potter from Tonalá in the state of Jalisco, a town steeped in ceramic heritage, where artisans continue to carry on family traditions. Santos Juárez however was born in Zacatecas but moved to Tonalá with his family as a small child. He showed interest and talent in the craft at a young age, starting as an apprentice with Manuel Silva and the
Silva/Palomino family when he was only seven.

Santos Juárez initially became known for his ceramic miniature pieces such as small “tequilleros” and toy sized versions of jars, “cantaros” and jewelry. Today he produces larger pieces such as storage containers, large plates, bowls, vases and sculptures. He works in the bruñido method when working the clay, a mixture of white and black clays, mixing into different proportions depending on what is created. A  pre-hispanic method used by artisans in the area. What distinguishes Santos Juárez’s work is his decorative painting. As he did not grow up in a Tonalá ceramics family and is not bound to
traditional motifs as other area artists. Rather than copying traditional designs, he infuses them with his own artistic vision, resulting in work known for its fine lines and meticulous detail. His subjects commonly include animals, flowers, and tropical leaves depicted in motion.

In collaboration with Heirlome, Mr. Santos Juárez created a seasonal print inspired by the interplay of masculine and feminine elements. During discussions with our Creative Director, Juárez explained how this tension fuels his work. For the Heirlome Spring 2025 Collection, he used fish to represent the masculine and plants and flowers to symbolize the feminine.