Rinconada Artesania (Crystal Fox Gallery)

More Information about Rinconada ArtesaniaArtesania Rinconada Collection and Anniversary Collection. Handcrafted Ceramics. Carved and decorated with gold and platinum by the Rinconada artists, J & J Carbajales. The idendical twins work from their studio in Montevideo Uruguay. Their animal sculptures, internationally known for their unique personality, character and originality, are truly among the finest examples of contemporary design and craftmanship.
Internationally known for its unique personality, character and originality, the Artesania Rinconada Collection is truly one of the finest examples of contemporary ceramic design. Artesania Rinconada figurines are carefully hand-carved and detailed in fine grain earthenware ceramic material. After initial kiln firing, decoration continues with the hand application of colored slips and enamel glazes used to accent and highlight individual design characteristics. Each enamel glaze must be re-fired individually in order to preserve its distinctive coloration.

Rinconadas Classic Collection was created by twin brothers Jesus and Javier Carbajales during the fall of 1972 in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Carbajales were born in Spain in 1930 and moved with their family to Uruguay when the Spanish Civil War erupted in 1936. The brothers, however, did not forget their artistic roots. They were strongly influenced by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Joan Miro; three Spanish artists whose work dominated spanish art in the first half of the 20th century.

The Carbajales chose nature as their subject and their sculptures blend a traditional South American Style with a surrealist flair. The name Artesania Rinconada is a Spanish phrase meaning Art of the corner or Corner art and was chosen because the brothers worked out of a small corner of their living room for many years. Although Jesus and Javier can no longer confine themselves to a small corner studio. The brothers continually refer to their work as Artesania Rinconada and carve the initials AR into each of their original designs.

In recent years Rinconada has evolved under a new factory director with exciting new creativity and artistic vision. As a young man in Montevideo, Uruguay Jorge De Rosa apprenticed in the field of hand-crafted ceramics. He studied all aspects of ceramic design and artistic development under the guidance of his father, Jorge De Rosa Thompson, who co-founded Artesania Rinconada S.R.L. along with Jesus and Javier Carbajales in the early 1970s. Jorge became the Director of the Rinconada factory on January 1, 1996 and has collaborated with Jesus and Javier in implementing creative new techniques to Rinconada design. Under his leadership Artesania Rinconada developed a series of gold and platinum accented animal figurines to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Classic Collection. These new designs formed the beginning of the Silver Anniversary Collection.

Other developments spearheaded by De Rosas efforts include the De Rosa Box Collection, the Rincababy Collection, and the recently retired De Rosa Bell Collection. The De Rosa Box Collection is the result of design collaboration between De Rosa and Olga Pareja. Many Rinconada collectors may remember Olga's designs from the Professional Cat Series. The Rincababy Collection is designed by Jesus Carbajales in collaboration with Jorge De Rosa. This collaboration between artists has proven to result in superior designs which continue to win over even the most avid admirers and collectors of Rinconada design.

In 2005 Rinconada Artists introduced two new collections, the De Rosa Doll Collection, designed by Graciela Verversis and the Emerald Collection, a collection of ( mid-sized ) animal figurines accented in 18k gold and platinum commemorating 35 years of hand-crafted ceramic design.

Jorge De Rosa: Rinconada Factory Director and Designer with his father Jorge De Rosa Thompson

Jorge De Rosa was born in 1956 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and moved with his family to Montevideo, Uruguay when he was 8 years old. Jorge was raised around ceramics his whole life given that his father was a professor of ceramics. As a child he would accompany his father to the ceramics factory. While there he would watch the artists, ask them questions and when they would let him he would help them design in any way possible. Jorge was fascinated by the various processes involved in ceramics and knew then want he wanted to do when he was older. In 1975 his father joined the Carbajales brothers in a business venture and by 1979 Jorge was began working as the General Supervisor of Artesania Rinconada. This gave him the opportunity to work closely with and admire wonderful artists like Jesus and Javier Carbajales and Herben De Matte.
Since 1995 Jorge De Rosa has been the Factory Director and General Manager of Artesania Rinconada working closely with the Carbajales brothers and other fine artists like Olga Pareja and Juan Carlos Irigoin; always eager to please Rinconada collectors and enthusiasts.

Jesus and Javier Carbajales were born in Asturias, Spain in 1930. As youngsters, the twin brothers were taken from Spain as their family moved to Montevideo, Uruguay to escape the perils of Civil War in Spain. However, as young men they returned to Spain and extended their travels to France and England where they began to study various aspects of painting and sculpture. After returning to Uruguay, in addition to painting and creating vases, they began designing Rinconada figurines in 1967 and sold them to local gift shops in Uruguay. They then began to market them abroad (initially in France). It wasnt until the early 1970s when they began to market them in the United States through John J. Madison Co., Inc.

In 1975 the twin brothers joined forces with Jorge De Rosa Thompson. Jorge was a ceramics professor and also owned a ceramics factory, (Ancers S.A.). Jorge loved the collection and began to dedicate his life to Rinconada production and design. In 1976 a local artist, Herben DeMatte, began collaborating with the Carbajales and together they designed many of Rinconada's original designs. Herben De Matte was a very special artist and person, and was truly missed when he past away in 1996. He holds a special place in all our hearts.

In 1994 production of Rinconada was split between two factories. That of Jorge De Rosa Thompson (also known as Ancers S.A.) and a Co-Op Factory; both located in Montevideo, Uruguay. Today, a large majority of Rinconada figurines are hand made in the Ancers factory under the leadership of Jorge De Rosa. The Ancers factory collaborates closely with Carbajales brothers as well as other talented Uruguayan Artists to create the unique and creative hand crafted ceramic designs known as Artesania Rinconada.