ABOUT

Hi, I'm Sandra, a Peruvian-Dutch ceramist based in Ecuador.

My work with clay is an ongoing relationship with the earth, a way of remembering where I come from. Upon discovering ceramics many years ago, I was drawn to the ancient whistling vessels of my Peruvian ancestors — sacred instruments that were once used in ceremonies, water worship and burial.

Through these vessels, Earth, Water, Air, and Fire come together to shape something both fragile and eternal. Through this process, I feel connected to those who came before me — to their rituals, their reverence for Pachamama, our Mother Earth, and their understanding of the elements as living beings. The vessels are not only sculptural but functional spiritual instruments — they invite introspection, reconnection, and reverence.

I don’t see myself so much as an artist, but as a maker — guided by curiosity, spirit, and a wish to keep alive the quiet conversation between hands, clay, and memory.

My passion in clay is experimenting with water whistling vessels, also called inca whistle jars, vasijas silbadoras, originally made by the peoples of Peru and Ecuador.

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tenzijth

Tour of our dear friend’s amazing #kombuchafactory

Acoma Haa’ku, which translates to “a city well pre

Instagram post 18061181002814487

@sagsuma Gracias. Qué lindo caminar juntitas. ❤️

English below. El **Proyecto Hidroeléctrico San J

Gente de Mindo, únanse a nosotros el jueves 27 de

Spontaneous trip to Cayambe Volcano to show Samay

Happy birthday to my love @sagsuma I am so blessed

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Method & STORY

Method

I generally handbuild, though have sometimes used the wheel to throw shapes that I then construct as whistling vessels.

Initially, I was focused on function and the air compression systems that make whistling vessels work best, and over time, my work has taken on increased sculptural aspects, as well as new textures and concepts, which I continue to develop. Maybe I’m becoming a real artist? What is a real artis? Nevermind.

Personal background

Born in Rome, Italy, I am neither very Italian, nor very Dutch. I first began building guitars with a master luthier here in Ecuador, Norberto Novik, but then took a ceramics class after a messy breakup and fell in love with clay. I was no longer getting laid, I was getting clayed.

I studied Anthropology at the University of Colorado at Boulder and then International Development Studies at the University of Amsterdam. I’ve also been a musician for most of my life, playing guitar and singing.

I moved to Ecuador in 2012 (10 years ago) to salvage a relationship. This was another instance where I fell in love with an activity/object versus a person; I fell in love with Ecuador and have been living here since.

When I’m not building inca whistling vessels or teaching people how to make an ocarina, I’m organizing and assisting at ayahuasca retreats in Ecuador through my website, almahealingcenter.com