Dominga Neculmán

• Born — 1937 • Birthplace — Padre Las Casas, Araucania, Chile • Died — 5 December 2022 • Place of death — Padre Las Casas, Araucania, Chile • Citizenship — Mapuche and Chilean • Style — wizüfe • Movement — Indigenous ceramics of the Americas • Awards — Lorenzo Berg Award (1986), Living Human Treasure (Chile, 2011), Illustrious Daughter of Padre Las Casas (2022)

Neculmán was born in 1937 in the Mapuche community of Juan Mariqueo, in the rural village of Roble Huacho, Padre Las Casas, Chile. She grew up with her mother and grandmother, both of whom were potters. Neculmán wanted to learn the craft from an early age, but her mother refused because of the hard work involved, so she learned the witral weaving technique with sheep wool instead.

• Illustration — Metawe Epu Alka, a double-headed bird ceramic jar by Dominga Neculmán (Mapuche) After his mother died at the age of 33, Neculmán began practising pottery thanks to what she had observed at home and by learning from other master potters of the region. Neculmán soon became well known and attracted the attention of researchers and academics who saw her as having a special technique. Neuclmán's technique was characterised by the almost exclusive use of her hands and materials such as clay (or üku) and loam (or raq).

Neculmán also taught mapudungún language in the Intercultural Bilingual Education programme at the Temuco Catholic University and participated in the Mapuche Ceramics course at the Catholic University of Chile.