CANDIDATES FOR REGIONAL CRAFT AWARDS 2023

Below, you can learn about the projects of the candidates competing for the 8 categories of the 2023 Regional Craft Awards.

Currently, his works are exhibited in the Regional Crafts Center of Murcia, located at Calle Francisco Rabal, 6.

Voting deadline October 1, 2023. 

VOTE THROUGH THIS LINK

1. The Regional Crafts Award (€3,000) recognizes a work and a consolidated career in regional Crafts.

a) Under the motto “40 years with the passion of bringing the taste of the sea to your table” we present the project of Salazones Garre, an artisan company from San Pedro del Pinatar that works with the conviction that “you always have to try to do better” , keeping alive the maxim of its founder, Don Felipe Garre,. This year, in its 40th anniversary, Salazones Garre is memory of the past, innovation and commitment to environmental sustainability for the future. Family business with 3 generations of artisans, a leader in its sector, with a highly qualified team and facilities of more than five thousand square meters, with all the technological innovations that allow them to produce gourmet artisanal salted fish, one of the 1001 flavors of the region of Murcia, using the maximum quality and hygiene controls, which are marketed throughout the national territory and also in the international market, bringing the taste of the sea to the tables of customers in 10 countries.

https://www.salazonesgarre.com/

b) “Reflection of a life. “Art in silk” by Rosa López Torres. In the Rosa Torres Workshop, created in 1995, scarves, scarves, fans, and kimonos are exclusively hand painted. Depending on the use for which the garments are intended, they are painted on satin, chiffon, velvet, being true works of live art. The process is laborious and each piece is unique. This artisan with 28 years in the trade, her products are marketed internationally, with the Regional Craft Centers being one of her most valued showcases. What was initially a hobby became a very rewarding job that allows him even today, at 76 years old, to continue enjoying painting and receive the love of people who still keep Rosa Torres's first handkerchief as a jewel. Some time ago one of her clients wrote: “As a reflection in the calm and deep water of a pond, I already perceive the sensitivity that Rosa Torres' silks breathe, because light like water are its strength and its mystery.”

https://rosatorres.es/

2. Artisan Product Award (1,500 euros), those artisan products or collections made and marketed in the two years prior to the call are valued.

a) “Marineras” Collection by Verónica Maccorin Biasoli. With this collection, the artisan represents in an innovative way the “Marinera”, a very original and delicious traditional gastronomic product from Murcia. Its objective is to represent and enhance the Marinera in different forms, such as refrigerator magnets, brooches to wear on clothing or on platters and plates to serve different appetizers, incorporating it into everyday elements in an original and contemporary way. The development of these pieces is done manually so each piece is unique, without the use of molds. They are made of ceramic, which when fired at 1000ºC acquire a high product quality and durability over time. This product has image registration in trademarks and patents.

https://maccorin.com/

b) “Cleta” Collection by Strambotica. This collection is made with passion and commitment, using sustainable materials and artisanal techniques. Each piece they present, bag, necklace, earrings, bracelet and brooches, has been carefully crafted by hand, using recycled paper printed with timeless designs and ecological materials to minimize environmental impact. They promote sustainability in fashion, and this collection is an example of how creativity and craftsmanship can converge with environmental responsibility, resulting in long-lasting, unique and high-quality pieces. With the Cleta collection, from the strambotic brand, they want to communicate and transmit their sustainable values and offer messages that, with everyone's help, another world is possible.

https://strambotica.es/

c) “Leona” ceramic vase by Mamitaislove.

“Leona” is a vase made of ceramic (19 x 11.5 cm) and on its front we find the head of a lioness that stares at you and on the back, some mulberry leaves adorn the top in a cascade. This star product has been made from the humblest raw materials that we can find in the craft of a ceramic craftsman, “clay”. In a raw state, he has painted the piece using slips of different colors. To finish it, he has enamelled it with a pike yellow color. Throughout the process, sustainability and respect for the environment have been taken into account in the care and use of the materials manipulated in the manufacturing process. Leona is inspired by her passion for nature and its beauty, the flora and fauna that accompanies it, its colors, movement and life.

https://www.instagram.com/mamitaislove/

d) “Beeswax Candles” Collection by Elena M. Esteban. Beeswax candles are the result of a laborious process that begins with the collection of wax from the honeycombs of bees in the Region of Murcia. With their beautiful golden color and sweet, natural fragrance, they add a touch of charm and elegance to any space, in addition to being aesthetically appealing, they are an environmentally friendly option. This makes them an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic wax or paraffin candles. Beeswax has a higher melting point than paraffin, which means beeswax candles have greater heat resistance and can burn longer without melting or dripping. This ensures longer life and long-lasting enjoyment. In short, beeswax candles are a true artisanal gem that combines beauty, fragrance and quality.

http://www.gimiele.com/

e) Illustration “The Kiss” by Eloy González. MEASUREMENTS: A3 (42 cm X 60 cm) Production technique: Digital illustration. Materials used: 220 gr cotton paper. Year of production: 2022. Murcian imagery has always had its own style but as an illustrator subjected to millions of visual impacts due to the amount of information we see today, the author has always had that interest in renewing the art that we see. surrounds Or at least, transform it so that, although its meaning does not change, it arouses another added interest. In this case, The Kiss is an illustration of two orchards inspired by the mythical photograph of the kiss between a sailor and a nurse in the middle of Time Square taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt in 1945. That gesture is so iconic and has become a reference image of Our current culture has been transferred to our city of Murcia in the middle of the Spring Festival in one of the most important places in the Region, our cathedral. That symbol of the kiss is the closing of a day in which the city explodes. A day when barracks, parades and dances are in every corner of the city and friends and family gather to celebrate the culture of the garden, our culture, our roots.

https://eloygonzalez.com/

f) Collection “From the possible to the desirable” of Del Amor y la Belleza created by Carlos Jiménez, a chromatic allegory of a better future. During the months dedicated to the development of this proposal for the LOVISUAL urban art festival, called FROM THE POSSIBLE TO THE DESIRABLE, he focused his gaze on the “built environment”, the relationship between the environment modified by humans for use and enjoyment, and the natural environment introduced into the city. The experiment that makes up the intervention consists of making palpable the summary of the urban ecosystem that our human development makes possible, materializing it through a set of pieces made with thousands of porcelain leaves, obtained through the lost mold technique, using plant species. found in the area of your study; as well as being able to propose other ways of formalizing the city, which facilitate a richer plant world, and, therefore, a happier city population.

https://www.instagram.com/delamorylabelleza/

3. The Artisan Entrepreneurship Award (1,500 euros) distinguishes the entrepreneur who has stood out for the introduction of new concepts in the sector, in areas such as product, distribution, marketing or design.

a) Vanesa Castaño with her project “Clay Jewelry, Mamitaislove”.

“Mamita is Love” is a registered brand of handmade ceramic jewelry, which begins its production and sale in 2022/23. The raw material used in its production is a white earthenware without chamotte, clay that in its first firing acquires a white similar to that of porcelain and in its second and last firing, reaches a temperature of 1000 degrees, with an enamel base. transparent that gives it that characteristic shine of glazed ceramics. Their collections are mainly inspired by nature, wildlife, flora and fauna, where the Lion and Lioness are protagonists, totems that inspire strength and survival. These ceramic pieces have required the use of other bead materials to give them a functional finish. In this case, a volcanic stone chain and stainless steel closures have been used.

https://www.instagram.com/mamitaislove/

b) Mª Paz and Francisco José Jiménez with their artisan jam project “Traditional Jams”. It is a company of artisan jams made entirely by hand, run by these two brothers, children of a couple of emigrant artisans who learned a trade, partly in France, where they were raised and educated, and in Spain, where their roots and your heart. Since 2021 they embark on the path of family continuity. Their admiration and respect for the jam culture leads them every day to perpetuate and improve the techniques learned. A sense of responsibility that led them to achieve 10th place in the 2021 World Championship in the specialty of artisan jams.

https://www.facebook.com/ConfiTradicionales/

c) Elena M. Esteban with her beekeeping project “Gimiele”. Elena, an entrepreneur and amateur beekeeper for 15 years, embarked on professional beekeeping 7 years ago and currently has about 400 hives throughout the Region of Murcia. Its objective is to produce honey of the highest quality possible and make it reach the final public without it undergoing any industrial transformation. All of her products are limited, since for her, both the quality of the product and the well-being of the bees are very important. Their honeys, propolis, royal jelly, pollen, candles and liqueurs are unique products as they mix the best of traditional methods with the most innovative ones.

http://www.gimiele.com/

d) Eloy González with his project “Murcia de cerca”. Measurements: a3 (42 cm x 60 cm); production technique: digital illustration; Materials used: 220 gr cotton paper. Year of production: 2020. “Murcia up close” It is a collection of illustrated plates of the places and corners of the city of Murcia and what happens there. A collection that arises from the need to represent and give a current and more modern vision of Murcian imagery, using techniques and approaches different from those traditionally used by painters and watercolorists. This project covers a series of pieces in which the Murcian culture is represented through the different spaces of the city, its customs and its gastronomy, which is constantly evolving.

https://eloygonzalez.com/

e) Charo Romero with her recycled fashion project called “CERRICHE MODA UPCYCLING”. Artisan fashion brand project created by Charo Romero. With the CERRICHE brand they create sustainable and circular fashion where recycling, reducing and reusing is their philosophy. Through creative recycling they carry out an artistic transformation of disused materials; In this case jeans that are normally considered waste and through creativity acquire a new shape, a new use and a new useful life together with the completely artisanal manufacturing process. Charo Romero is dedicated to UPCYCLING (recycling).

https://www.instagram.com/cerri_che/

d) Carlos Jiménez Cenamor, Of Love and Beauty, with his project “OhMotherNature”, description of the Murcian orchard through its landscape through the use of porcelain. With the intention of obtaining a detailed description of the landscape of the Murcian orchard, as well as reflecting the need for active individual participation in the care of such a delicate and vulnerable asset, since 2020, he has been creating a series of objects that show the biodiversity of the context in the one who lives and works, the result of human decisions about the natural and cultural ecosystems that we make up. To do this, by painting with porcelain the leaves collected in his garden, he makes hundreds of reliable plant reproductions that preserve both the shape and the original ribs, and which, joined together, form a series of pieces that summarize the plant species, the passage of seasons, as well as the complexity of the orchard landscapes, which provide identity, beauty and well-being to the Region of Murcia.

https://www.instagram.com/delamorylabelleza/

4. The Award for the Promotion of Crafts for Private Entities (1,500 euros) recognizes the best programs, campaigns or initiatives to promote this activity.

a) “Ruralmur” Association. Registered as an entity serving crafts, it is an association dedicated to promoting crafts, rural tourism and traditional trade in the region of Murcia. Crafts, leisure activities, gastronomy, painting... all sectors and artists have a place in Ruralmur, since all of them can exhibit their products, offers and works for free on the Ruralmur website and App, facilitating the public so that you can discover the corners and artisan products in an accessible way.

https://ruralmur.com/

5. The Promote Public Entities Award (without financial award) recognizes the best programs, campaigns or initiatives to promote the artisan sector.

Murcia City Council. From the Hon. Murcia City Council is carrying out work to disseminate the craft sector, as a sociocultural expression of our history, with craft activity being a source of employment, tourist and cultural resources and constituting an innovative business fabric of products.

From the city council of Murcia and in collaboration with the General Directorate of Crafts, the promotion of development and competitiveness in the craft sector is pursued, recognizing the great importance and representativeness of the sector, through promotional campaigns, as well as the realization of workshops and activities that pursue the dissemination and dissemination of crafts in general.

In addition to the collaboration in the Christmas Crafts Exhibition, the city council carries out other types of projects in relation to crafts such as: the Murcia Educa Project at the Murcia Crafts Center, the Todos los Santos Traditional Market, the artisan workshops carried out in cultural centers, etc., with special mention for the Casa del Belén, located in Puente Tocinos.

https://www.murcia.es/

6. The Belén Artesano Award rewards the career of the nativity scene company and the product presented. Endowed with €1,500.

a) “Salzillesco Birth” by María del Mar Blázquez. This artisan is the daughter and sister of artists; His father, the image sculptor D. Domingo Blázquez Carrasco, founded the workshop in which the family continues to work today. The Nativity scene presented on this occasion is a copy of the one made by the sculptor Francisco Salzillo for a private collection. All the pieces are made by hand, not using molds and have been made of clay baked in a Moorish oven, the gilding is made of gold leaf and painted with stew, a delicate decoration that is made with egg yolk. The complete Nativity scene is presented accompanied by the Three Wise Men and their pages.

https://www.facebook.com/escultoramar/

b) “Hebrew style nativity scene” by Belenes Murcia, SL Techniques used and sources of inspiration. Sources of inspiration: Design and style inspired by the Birth of Jesus, which every Christmas commemorates the birth of living people that Saint Francis of Assisi carried out in 1223. Later, the sculptor Francisco Salzillo (born in Naples and married to a woman from Murcia) in the 18th century, commissioned a nativity scene carved in clay for the Riquelme family, which to this day and after several generations has reached us and It is valued by the entire world. Clay clay: Raw material arrived from the quarries of Lorca (land of potters). Canvas: Recycled 100% cotton fabric, dipped in 30% carpenter's glue and diluted in 70% water. Polychromy: water-based pigments, with golden water-based touches.

http://www.belenesmurcia.com/

7. Food Award, rewards the best artisan food product in the Region of Murcia, worth €1,500.

a) “Murcian carrasca bread” from El Horno by Javi Moreno. In “La Madrugada” by Javier Moreno we seek to recover the rich Murcian traditions; one of them is, without a doubt, Carrasca bread. Updated to the new sourdough bread regulations, we find a bread with a great aroma and flavor, with a caramelized color resulting from a long fermentation and an intense aroma of cereals, wheat and corn. The perfect bread to accompany the breakfasts and meals of Murcians.

https://www.instagram.com/la_madrugada_javier_moreno/

b) “Mariage Royal, 10th best jam in the world” from Confituras Tradicionales. This is the jam that has allowed Confituras Tradicionales to be in 10th place in the world ranking of the World Jam Championship held in 2021 in France. Conceived as an allegory that represents the essence of the company: a symbiosis of traditions and culture between Spain and France, composed of a special apricot from the Provencal Alps and the “Reina Claudia” plum from Caravaca de la Cruz. A jam made the old-fashioned way, with hand-pitted fruit, cooked in double-bottomed copper pots, heated by steam. Fruit and cane sugar, nothing more. This, along with comprehensive handwork, is the hallmark of their jams and their company.

https://www.facebook.com/ConfiTradicionales/

c) “Combined: honey, royal jelly, pollen and propolis” from Gimiele, is made up of raw honey, fresh pollen, propolis and royal jelly. It is a combination that makes the product taste good and provides the body with extra vitality, vitamins, and well-being. This way your body will be more resistant to fatigue, stress and possible diseases. Honey: Being a honey without any chemical or mechanical transformation, it contains all its aromas and benefits. Pollen: Its complex composition contains valuable enzymes, vitamins and minerals that make it a superfood, since it is the only food that contains all 22 essential amino acids. It is advisable to strengthen the immune system, especially during times of change of season. Royal Jelly: It is Nature's most complete food: it gives us energy, vitamins, minerals and strengthens our body with a small dose. In addition, it is one of the best supplements to improve memory. Propolis: provides benefits and ideal medicinal properties when it comes to raising defenses and fighting flu, colds and skin problems.

http://www.gimiele.com/

8. New Talents Award, rewards new artisan talents, with an amount of €1,500.

a) Collection of “Wave” luminaires by Pilar Moreno Monreal. Wave is a collection of table lamps characterized by its design that combines elements of traditional craftsmanship with contemporary shapes and lines. Cement will be the main material with which variations will arise depending on its color and the weight added to it. The lighting is LED and wireless; This is activated by pressing the light itself. The power source is batteries, with this we manage to improve the aesthetic appearance of the product by eliminating cables. The purpose of this project is to offer an ecological and sustainable option that adds value to crafts as a creative practice.

b) “Malevich” collection of contemporary jewelry by Julio Alberto Yáñez Jiménez.

The pieces are inspired by Kazimir Malevich's Suprematism, a movement that reaches everything from nothing, that is, reaching the summum with the minimum expression. This collection, with a very short run, is made by hand, except for the methacrylate laser cutting process; They are exclusive pieces designed for a select client who knows how to appreciate the potential of artisan pieces. Before the artisanal production of the metal pieces, design software has been used and work has been done with a 3D resin printer to produce prototypes that will later be cast using Delft sand, thus merging new technologies with contemporary jewelry. For this project, a market study of jewelry customers has been carried out to adapt the product to the market. The materials used are both silver and recycled methacrylate.