Tito Pottery - Juan Martínez Villacañas

Tito Pottery - Juan Martínez Villacañas was born in Úbeda, city of pottery workshops, in the potters' district of San Millán, into a family of pottery makers, from whom as a child, he learned the trade from the last master potters of the city.

He has dedicated his whole life to working and research into pottery making, offering items that aim to be true to an age-old tradition, while bringing to them the spirit of our time, with technical advances and a new look to ensure the survival of his heritage, as well as passing on his knowledge, especially to his son, Juan Pablo, who is a loyal follower of his teachings and a tireless researcher into the art.

In the 1970s, the output from Tito began to receive recognition. At the end of the decade, he began to collect pieces of traditional pottery from the 19th and 20th centuries from all over the peninsula, and which in time will become one of the best collections in Spain, thus helping to preserve the cultural heritage.

En 1981, he won recognition from the Ministry of Culture for the work carried out in the Pottery Museum. In 2006, he won the National Crafts Award and 2007 he was appointed a member of the Craft Commission of Andalusia, as a renowned artisan.

On 16 May, 2011 he was appointed Master Craftsman by the Tourism, Commerce and Sports Council of the regional government of Andalusia.