Meet The Artisans

At Verve Culture, developing relationships with our Artisan Makers is paramount. By making this a top priority, we know that each piece has a history and is made with the knowledge, skill, and love of generations. Find out more about our artisans below.

Molinillos

Juan Alonso has spent the last 47 years making Molinillos with more and more complex details. He works with his two sons in their workshop attached to their home in a small town in Mexico State. While Juan Alonso is highly regarded throughout the art world in Mexico, his sons have only recently learned his craft. Estaban, who is 38, has been making Molinillos for 3 years and is now working full time with his father. His younger brother, Luis Alberto, 24, has been working with them for 18 months.  READ MORE

Mexican Glass

Javier H. Gutierrez Espinosa says his career in glass blowing was by chance. Despite growing up in Guadalajara - just nine miles from Tonala - the first time he visited the town was when he was 22 year old. One day, he accompanied his friend to Tonala and fate took over. READ MORE

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Experience authentic Oaxacan Chocolate straight from the family owned business of Villa Real. They treat cocoa in the traditional way, as a sacred ingredient inherited by their ancestors, turning it into a mixture of flavors and ingredients that will make your palate fill with emotions and memories. They make chocolate with a taste of Nostalgia. READ MORE

Mexican Ceramics

Rodolfo Pila is now 39 year old, but has been creating traditional Mexican ceramics since he was a boy. His father taught him about traditional shapes, painting, glazes, and finishes. He attended the cultural school at El Refugio in Tlaquepaque, renowned for its arts and crafts school and exhibitions. His professor told him that while he was very well versed in the traditional method of petatillo with points and lines, he had no idea at all about new techniques with color and ombre. After practicing these new techniques very studiously, Rodolfo now has a wonderful repertoire blending both traditional and new methods. READ MORE

Mexican Tin 

Four generations of skills passed down from father to son have provided Arturo Vizcarra with the talent to transform sheets of tin into traditional Mexican boxes, mirrors, and decorations. Arturo started his art as a young boy. He was the eldest child in a large family and needed to work to help provide. Instead of studying at school, he was hard at work learning how to do the stamping and folding of tin in just the right way. His father was a hard taskmaster, insisting on precision and beauty. READ MORE

Thai Organic Farm

Have you ever tasted something that is perfect? In Thailand, the freshest herbs, spices, fruits, and vegetables are not only different to what we usually eat, but the combinations cannot be confused with everyday tastes. Take the pure and elegant flavor of a kaffir lime leaf, or galangal and combine with other ingredients to build up the flavor profiles that are honest and truly Thai - without any distortions - and your taste buds will not only sing, but cry out for more. READ MORE

Thai Knife Forgers

Early in the 1800’s, goldsmiths and blacksmiths from Laos settled in the province of Ayutthaya in Thailand due to the access to markets and plentiful wood. The sword is a weapon that has been paired with warriors since ancient times. When the Burmese invaded Ayutthaya, the Aranyik village started making swords for the Thai resistance forces and were famed for their superior craftsmanship. Today, swords have given way to top-quality knives as well as silverware and tools. READ MORE