• Diego specialises in the coil building technique
• His designs are painted freehand using brushes made from human hair
• He sees his work as a dialogue with Mother Nature

Diego Valles' vessels, which are made with locally sourced materials, often feature geometric patterns and human qualities. He learned pottery from local ceramicists Jesús Mora and Antonia Tena, grounded in his hometown of Juan Mata Ortiz and its ancient ceramic traditions. Before Diego pursued the craft full-time, his clay pieces won an annual ceramic competition in 2006. This achievement caught the attention of the American Museum of Ceramic Art's founder, who purchased and exhibited them the following year. The museum later hired Diego as a liaison and translator for an exhibition in his native town. "Knowing that my work would become part not only of that exhibition and documentary project, but also of the collection of such an important museum, motivated me to build a practice as a craftsman," he says.