{"id":3320,"date":"2026-09-11T10:23:48","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T13:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/?p=3320"},"modified":"2026-09-14T11:30:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T14:30:35","slug":"jequitinhonha-valley-craftsmanship-gains-ground-at-paris-design-week-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/?p=3320","title":{"rendered":"Jequitinhonha Valley Craftsmanship Gains Ground at Paris Design Week 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ceramic houses inspired by the architecture of Cachoeira do Fanado, one of the four communities represented in the Paris exhibition. Photo: Courtesy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sebrae Minas and the Minas Gerais state government bring 150 sculptures from four mining communities to Maison & Objet and a parallel exhibit in the Marais neighborhood.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Parisian Exhibit Brings Together Ceramics From Minas Gerais<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ceramic pieces made by artisans from the Jequitinhonha Valley, in Minas Gerais, land in Paris in September to take over two of international design’s leading stages. About 150 sculptures, created by artisans from four communities in the region, will be shown at Maison & Objet Paris 2026, Sept. 10-14, and at the Ricardo Fernandes Gallery, in the Marais district, Sept. 8-18. A partnership between Sebrae Minas and the Minas Gerais state government, through the State Secretariat of Economic Development (Sede), is behind the initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Held twice a year in the French capital, the event is considered by the industry one of the leading indicators of trends in decor, architecture, design and lifestyle. It draws thousands of exhibitors and visitors from dozens of countries and typically generates business between creators and international buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 2026 edition, Sebrae Minas will have a booth dedicated to handcrafted ceramics from the Jequitinhonha Valley, bringing together works exclusively from artisans in the communities of Campo Alegre, Coqueiro Campo, Santana do Ara\u00e7ua\u00ed and Cachoeira do Fanado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A parallel exhibit, titled “The Earth Shaped by Art: Jequitinhonha Valley,” occupies space at the Ricardo Fernandes Gallery, in the heart of the Marais, a Parisian neighborhood historically linked to art galleries and studios. Gallery owner Ricardo Fernandes curated the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the Curatorial Lens<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Marco Aur\u00e9lio Pulch\u00e9rio, curator of the exhibit at Maison & Objet, believes crafts from the Jequitinhonha Valley carry expressive strength capable of drawing international attention. “Curating the sculptures was a challenging yet extremely rewarding process,” he said. According to him, even though he had known the region’s output for years, following the artisans’ creative process up close was an experience that surprised him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fernandes, the gallery owner behind the Marais show, describes the space as an open door to human reflection and recalls the legacy of Dona Izabel, a ceramicist who brought together a collective of artisans around her work. “We expect the gallery to serve as a tool for expanding this knowledge and, over time, to establish this heritage as a historic and cultural landmark for the world,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marcelo de Souza e Silva, chairman of the Sebrae Minas deliberative council, said the international market seeks authenticity, provenance and original craftsmanship, qualities the region offers in abundance. For him, the presence at Paris Design Week strengthens an ongoing effort to build skills, expand market access and elevate traditional knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly 20 Years of Work<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For more than 20 years, Sebrae Minas has worked in the Jequitinhonha Valley to strengthen local governance, business management, entrepreneurship, digital presence and access to better-qualified markets. In 2019, that work entered a new chapter with the creation of the Identity and Origin project, aimed at promoting the cultural elements that set the region apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two years later, the Jequitinhonha Valley Territory Brand emerged, developed by the region’s Council of Artisans in partnership with Sebrae Minas. It helps publicize the origin of the pieces, raise the territory’s profile and encourage crafts as a source of income for the families involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Survey data from Sebrae Minas show that efforts to promote local knowledge, traceability and market access generated an average revenue increase of 30% for artisans in recent years, boosting the region’s economy and expanding opportunities for hundreds of families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artisans’ Journey to Paris<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Five artisans make up the delegation, bringing to Paris their own pieces along with the stories of their families and communities. Among them is Andr\u00e9ia Andrade, granddaughter of ceramicist Dona Izabel, known as the Clay Lady of Jequitinhonha and creator of the moringa dolls that became a symbol of the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Polychrome ceramic moringa vessels, a technique associated with the legacy of Dona Izabel, the \u201cLady of the Clay\u201d of Jequitinhonha, in Santana do Ara\u00e7ua\u00ed. Photo: Courtesy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspired by her grandmother’s work, Andr\u00e9ia brings ceramic bride dolls to Paris, along with a sculpture honoring the matriarch. “Each piece carries the stories, memories and legacy of a family that turned art into cultural heritage and continues to conquer new spaces around the world,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Close-up of the veil of a ceramic bride doll, a piece from Santana do Ara\u00e7ua\u00ed that pays tribute to the legacy of Dona Izabel. Photo: Courtesy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Augusto Ribeiro, a neighbor of Andr\u00e9ia’s in Santana do Ara\u00e7ua\u00ed, traded toys for clay as a boy and grew into a tradition sustained for generations by women artisans in the region. He selected pieces for the trip that reflect different layers of his work. “When one of my dolls gets recognized, I feel that my story, my family’s history, the work of the women who came before me and the culture of the Jequitinhonha Valley are also being seen,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up in Campo Alegre, An\u00edsia Lima learned the craft at age 8, watching her mother shape utilitarian pieces, and never stopped. She recalls that participating in national fairs had already taken her work to cities such as Recife, Bras\u00edlia, S\u00e3o Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. “My main dream is coming true, showing my craftwork outside Brazil,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A utilitarian ceramic piece from Campo Alegre, a community where artisans like An\u00edsia Lima have been learning the craft since childhood. Photo: Courtesy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alice Costa, a member of the Cachoeira do Fanado community, began working in crafts as a child and never imagined the small ceramic houses inspired by her region’s dwellings would cross the Atlantic. For the artisan, each piece carries a fragment of her community’s history and identity. “I go with a heart full of joy, pride and responsibility, carrying with me the certainty that dreams can come true when built with dedication, love and perseverance,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rounding out the group of five, Adriana Xavier began modeling clay sculptures at age 10 in the community of Campo Alegre, in Turmalina, and brings to Maison & Objet ceramic dolls of different sizes, the piece she is best known for. She recalls that she carries to Paris the journey of 52 women from the Campo Buriti Artisans Association, along with other artisans from the region. “We’re very proud that our work is being recognized internationally,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ceramic dolls of various sizes, a signature technique of Adriana Xavier, an artisan from Campo Alegre. Photo: Courtesy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authenticity Drives the Market<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Work like this, organizers say, responds to a market that increasingly values authenticity as a mark of luxury. Appearances at Maison & Objet and the Ricardo Fernandes Gallery open the door to connections with galleries, specialty stores and architecture and interior design professionals interested in original work whose cultural value is recognized across the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vale do Jequitinhonha \u2014 Paris 2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When:<\/strong> Sept. 8\u201318, 2026 (Maison & Objet: Sept. 10\u201314)
Where:<\/strong> Paris Design Week venues \u2014 Maison & Objet Paris and Ricardo Fernandes Gallery
Exhibition:<\/strong> A Terra Modelada pela Arte \u2013 Vale do Jequitinhonha<\/em> at Ricardo Fernandes Gallery
Region:<\/strong> Vale do Jequitinhonha, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Focus:<\/strong> Traditional ceramic sculpture and contemporary expressions of local craftsmanship
Information:<\/strong> Maison & Objet Paris; Ricardo Fernandes Gallery; Paris Design Week<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ceramic houses inspired by the architecture of Cachoeira do Fanado, one of the four communities represented in the Paris exhibition. Photo: Courtesy. Sebrae Minas and the Minas Gerais state government…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-craftsmanship"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3320"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3337,"href":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3320\/revisions\/3337"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archgallerydesign.art.br\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}