About us

LODAZAL is a small-batch ceramics studio run by Mercedes and Luisa. Based in Mexico, we create both functional and artistic pieces that play with contrast in texture, color and form. Our practice is rooted in intention, attention to detail, and the desire to turn our craft into a path towards reclaiming time, care, and creativity.

  • Luisa Fernanda Gutiérrez

    [she/her]

    DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

    In 2024, Luisa—an artist and curator from Zacapu, Michoacán, with years of experience as a studio director—joined LODAZAL full-time. She started as Director of Operations, but quickly became a creative partner and a vital force behind the studio’s growth. Her background in contemporary art and her hunger for creative exploration bring depth and clarity to both the practical and artistic sides of our work.

    Portafolio

  • Mercedes Orozco

    [they/them]

    CREATIVE DIRECTOR & CERAMICIST OF LODAZAL

    Mercedes Orozco is a non-binary artist born in Mexico City and peppered with gringo and border cultures. After many years in Portland—working in film and running a queer art gallery—Mercedes returned to Mexico to reconnect with working by hand. In 2019, they founded LODAZAL, a ceramics studio grounded in creative exploration, intention and presence.

    Portafolio

  • Collective

    [Luisa & Mercedes]

    CONTEMPORARY ART WORK

    Beyond joining forces to grow LODAZAL, Luisa and Mercedes also develop an artistic practice that lives in both individual and collaborative forms, always within the field of contemporary art. Their work together explores the everyday, the impossible, and what feels frozen in time—with a sensitivity that often leans into nostalgia and at times into resistance. Together, they translate those sensations into form, reflecting on the ways we assign value to material things.

    Portafolio

Our manifesto

  1. We believe in craft as a path to reclaim time, care, and creativity.
    We don’t work to produce more, but to produce better.

  2. We value intentional design.
    Every line, color, and form has a reason. Nothing is placed by chance.

  3. We pursue perfectionism through attention, not rigidity.
     We seek clarity, contrast, and presence—without erasing the touch of human hand.

  4. We respect the timing of clay and the body.
     We don’t follow the logic of urgency. We move at the pace of what matters.

  5. We want our pieces to live with those who value them, not just those who can afford them.
    That’s why we offer sliding scales and believe in a more equitable model.

  6. Our practice is rooted in Mexico, but always in motion.
    We speak two languages, work across territories, and connect with more than one audience.

  7. We’re excited by what we don’t yet master.
    LODAZAL is also a space for artistic experimentation, not just utilitarian production.

  8. We believe in doing this with love—and with structure.
    Running a studio is as creative as it is political. And we’re not here to burn out.