Miguel Maldonado

Gifted an innate artistic ability but possessing limited resources for formal art school training, Miguel Maldonado developed his craft under the tutelage of master artisan Helio Gutierrez from the age of 13.  A focused study of centuries-old clay work practices during his decade long apprenticeship, provided Miguel the tools to explore his own unique interpretations of traditional themes.  

Never having forgotten his appreciation for time-honored methods and motifs, nor his contemporary representations of indigenous subject matter, Miguel began uniting both.  Combinations of mixed mineral pigments with modern acrylics, wood fueled kiln finishes with textured raku glazes, Mesoamerican hieroglyphics with stylish graffiti aspects can all be found in his body of work, leaving Miguel uniquely well suited to embody the essence of “old school meets new school”.

His works can currently be found in the Museum of the Ortiz Guardian Foundation, the permanent collection of the National Palace of Culture and the Antiquities Museum in Nicaragua and internationally, in the Industrial Museum of Denmark and private collections in Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United States.