Elías, Marcela, and Matías

Sabalás Artesanías is a family-run artisan project, made up of Elías (also known as “The Elf” or “The Witch”), his partner Marcela, and their son Matías. What began as a way for the family to stay close and support one another soon grew into a full lifestyle, bringing fantasy characters like witches, dragons, and elves alive through their craft.

Self-taught and deeply experimental, the family learned to produce their own cold porcelain clay, embracing years of trial and error to perfect its texture and strength.

Working without molds, each piece is entirely unique and handmade, ensuring that every creature is truly one of a kind.

Inspired by nature, recycling, and spiritual symbolism, their exaggerated and colorful figures often include gemstones and driftwood, and are “baptized” by sunlight and rain, being infused with the earth’s energy.

Sabalás’s pieces and art style are easily recognized amongst the community, with the family taking part in numerous artisan fairs, markets and events. A known regular at the vibrant Tristán Narvaja Fair in Montevideo.