The César Manrique Foundation (FCM) will present the book titled “Dorotea de Armas. The Last Potter of El Mojón” on Thursday, 25th September at 19:30. Written by Jaime Puig and with a preface by Myriam Ybot, the book is published by the FCM’s Department of Publications as part of its Islas de Memoria collection. This research highlights the life of a humble individual who, despite her simplicity, stands as one of the significant female figures in the popular culture of Lanzarote. The event will take place in the José Saramago hall (La Plazuela, Arrecife).

During the presentation, the author and the preface writer will engage in conversation with Toño Armas—a teacher, researcher of the pottery from El Mojón, and ceramist—about the publication and its subject: Dorotea de Armas Curbelo (Las Montañetas, 1899 – Arrecife, 1997). Dorotea inherited the traditional craft of pottery and brought it into the 21st century. She learned the trade from her mother, María Andrea Curbelo, who had her training from her mother-in-law, Luciana Ramón Torres, originally from El Mojón, where women practiced ceramics primarily for domestic purposes.

During her youth, and until the mid-1930s, Dorotea de Armas created pottery for home use and for sale across various areas of the island. However, this practice was interrupted with the emergence of alternative cooking and food preservation materials. It wasn’t until the late 1960s that Dorotea resumed her activities. This resurgence coincided with the rise of tourism, leading to the popularity of figures known as Los Novios de El Mojón—couples with exaggerated sexual attributes, linked to courtship rituals.

“Dorotea de Armas. The Last Potter of El Mojón” is the ninth title in the Islas de Memoria collection, which has previously featured works on Guillermo Topham, José Molina Orosa, Gabriel Fernández Martín, Miguel Pereyra de Armas, Luis Morales Padrón, Pepín Ramírez, Antonio Corujo, and Antonio Álvarez. This series aims to preserve the memory of figures or events in Lanzarote that have significantly contributed to the collective memory of the island’s contemporary history through various cultural, scientific, social, or political domains.

Jaime Puig Casasayas (Olesa de Montserrat, Barcelona, 1964) has been a journalist in Lanzarote since 1986 when he joined the staff of Radio Lanzarote. He has authored articles for La Voz de Lanzarote and launched La Voz de Fuerteventura. He has also written for the newspaper La Provincia. Afterwards, he became part of Grupo Volcán to manage news for Antena 3 Radio, and later, following its acquisition by Prisa, initiated broadcasts for Cadena SER in Lanzarote. In 1994, he led the news team at Televolcán and collaborated with Antena 3 TV, contributing to the opinion section of the weekly publication Isla Informativa. In 1999, he directed the establishment of the new Fuerteventura TV before joining the Cabinet of the Tourism Minister of the Canary Islands Government. After this phase, he worked at Archipiélago TV, leading news services and presenting various political information and debate programmes. In 2006, he became the head of news for Localia TV while also exploring gastronomic communication through managing several thematic digital platforms. Since 2010, he has been part of the Biosfera Group, overseeing news services for Biosfera TV and the morning programme on COPE Lanzarote.