In Colorful HCCC Show, Ceramist Gabo Martinez Celebrates Pre-Hispanic Heritage

In Colorful HCCC Show, Ceramist Gabo Martinez Celebrates Pre-Hispanic Heritage

XOCHITLALPAN IS THE Nahuatl word for “The Land of Flowers.” This land is a mythical afterworld of everlasting flowers and joy described in the Aztec/Mexica pre-Hispanic and later-colonial poetic tradition known as In Xochitl In Cuicatl (Flower and Song). It is also the evocative title of San Marcos-based artist Gabo Martinez’s exhibit at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, a colorful, immersive installation in the museum’s front gallery of ceramics and large-scale prints inspired by her indigenous roots, as well as images pulled from the oral tradition of Flower Songs. It’s a show where floor-to-ceiling prints radiate with all the colors of nature on a sunny day, and the pottery simply sings.


Born in Guanajuato, Mexico, Martinez traveled back and forth from Texas to Tarimoro as a child, and her memories of the city’s Spanish mission-style architecture and colorfully painted terra-cotta homes with flowers on every patio continue to inspire her work. The distinctive red bricks of those houses were made from barro rojo (red clay), which was sourced from local mines, and Martinez’s wheel-thrown vessels, urns and bowls are created with this same type of clay. Using both ancestral and contemporary ceramic techniques, including sgraffito, in which after applying multiple layers the surface is scratched away to reveal the contrasting colors underneath, Martinez has created a beautiful body of work that honors and shares the history and narratives she has unearthed.

On view concurrently with The Land Of Flowers is Hot House, a collection of small, hand-made lace and bobbin creations and electroluminescent wire installations by Tel Aviv-born and -raised fiber artist Layla Klinger (they/them). Like Martinez, their practice is deeply connected to ancestral culture and history, specifically, Klinger’s Jewish heritage and upbringing.

Both shows are on view through Sept. 9.

Art + Entertainment
‘Natural Passion’ Makes Fourth-Gen Houstonian Sarah Callaway Sulma a Realty Star

AS A FOURTH-generation Houstonian, Sarah Callaway Sulma has a unique and invaluable view of the city. Her deep seated connection to Houston led her down the path to becoming one the city's most well-respected, and renowned real estate agents. Sarah's natural passion for the real estate industry from a young age led her to where she is today. "I know that it sounds cheesy, but it is the truth! I wanted to be in real estate from a young age," Sarah shares. "The late-great restaurateur, Tony Vallone, put me together with real estate legend, Martha Turner, and Martha put me together with Cathy Cagle. The rest is history-13 years of success and counting!" Now with over 13 years in real estate and $55M+ in residential real estate sales, Sarah brings a rare combination of knowledge, skill, and advocacy to each one of her clients.

Keep ReadingShow less

Lance McCullers, Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker

AN ANNUAL EVENT to raise funds for some of the top Astros players’ favorite causes knocked it out of the park this year, bringing in a record haul of $600,000.

Keep ReadingShow less
People + Places

Hugo Ortega (photo by Gittings Photography)

WHAT STARTED AS a casual watering hole with simple soups, salads and sandwiches — and a popcorn machine in the bar — is now a top restaurant owned by one of the city’s most respected restaurateurs and a James Beard Award-winning chef.

Keep ReadingShow less
Food