Luis Manuel Morales (b.1962) - Signed Vintage Michoacan Mexico Geometric Pottery Vase, Dated 1991

Luis Manuel Morales is a master potter who was born in Tzintzuntzan, Michoacan in 1962. He was trained as a potter by his father, Miguel Morales, and worked with clay at the age of 8. Morales would later study painting and graphic design at the University of Michoacan in Morelia, where he was influenced by Mexican painters like Diego Rivera, David Siqueiros, Jose Clemente Orozco, Rodolfo Tamayo and Pablo Picasso. Morales studied the ancient cultures of South America and Mexico, specifically his own Purhepecha culture. He would incorporate ancient symbols found on the yacatas, or pyramids, from outside his village into his own works. His pottery pieces would often reflect his own world view, which integrates past and present and expresses the vitality, soul and spirit of his village. His inspirations come from the natural world, more specifically the lake where he would watch the daily rituals of fishermen when they would set sail at dawn or under the full moon as a child.