José Luis Bazán

Often, a creator's life and work get mixed, a destiny that only gets confirmed after many years of learning, dedication and, finally, mastery that ends fusing living experiences and the pieces made. José Luís Bazán (Ubrique, Cádiz) is a living example of this phenomena. All because José Luís carries ubriquean leather in his own skin since he was born, as he is part of the third generation on a family of artisans. A place, a time, a life dedicated to leather that has transcended tradition to turns his craftwork into a contemporary renovative aesthetic expression.

And even if José Luis Bazán was destines to be a leather craftsman, he was also destined to be a restless inconformist, as he demostrated in his learning process when he went learning workshop to workshop as long there was something new to learn. His father was part of his education, as he guided José Luis in the selection of the teachers he wanted to learn from. Education that this craftsman denies to be over with, but that it would take him to continue in other lands. A career of learning and search that slowly developed unique techniques and languages, that would end in a personal and different artistic universe. Because of this unique ethic and aesthetic actitude, José Luís Bazán has become an special craftsman, both in his own projects and his collaborations- some very important like when he collaborated with Jonathan Anderson, head designer of Loewe for the BOWL serie - and is now an international referrer of leather craftwork.

His sets of bowls, plates and trays form their own aesthetic, where wavy lines and vivid colors create kind clean shapes, that give peace and quiet. Pieces that transform the energy present in the enviroment, giving it color and elgance. Pieces that invites us to touch them like if they were soft skin.

The creations of José Luís Bazán are made in his workshop-temple,Benaocaz (Cádiz). Thanks to the originality and mastery of the craft in his works, he is one of the few to be selected by the Michelangelo Foundation, the renewed private international institution dedicated to the promotion and conservation of the most excellent craft pieces as cultural treasure, not only from the past but, also, to the future. A future that, of course, José Luís Bazán is also currently compromised with: teaching the art of the crap to new generations, love to the work made by oneself, creative freedom