About Us
Paul Henry Devoti
Arrived in the indigenous pottery village of San Juan De Oriente, Nicaragua as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1995.
He quickly got fascinated by the pottery tradition of the village, women potters firing utilitarian ware in the streets and the link of the artisan craft to their cultural heritage.
Learning the language and customs of the community, playing on the local soccer team, and building friendships with local potters Devoti grew a deep connection to the community.
Upon return to the United States in 1998 Devoti started bring pottery wares from the pottery village to the local antique and flea market in Raleigh, NC.
In 2000 at a gathering of potters in Wilmington, NC where Devoti was showing a collection of Nicaraguan pottery at a local museum Miguel Maldonado, a visiting potter from San Juan de Oriente, did a stone burnishing and sgraffito etching demo that lead to the small group buying all of Miguel’s pottery art on display to sell immediately.
The interaction led Devoti to organize and support over 60 artisan visits from the San Juan pueblo to North Carolina over the next 20 years. The cultural exchange interacted with Dan Finch Pottery in Bailey, NC where visiting potters would visit and Dan Finch potters would travel to Nicaragua interact in the San Juan De Oriente pottery village.
Paul Henry Devoti wrote and published “San Juan de los Platos - History, Pottery and Potters of San Juan De Oriente, Nicaragua” which documented the first 20 years of his career.
The next level of Paul’s career started with the construction of his home in San Juan De Oriente when pour concrete for the second floor Paul had a vision for his own pottery studio where he could envision and bring to life one of a kind cultural and creative pottery sculptures.
Atlantis Studio was born. WIth four potter friends Devoti laid out a vision for a one of a kind, museum quality pottery studio that would reach back to the 2000 year pottery tradition while infusing color, creativity and contemporary innovations to the process.
Atlantis Ceramic Art sculptures are unique in the elements and materials that come together add the exquisite craftsmanship that identifies the work.
Winner of countless awards and now included in two museum collections at the Gregg Museum at NC State University and the Tampa Contemporary Museum of Art the vision of Paul Henry Devoti has come full circle with his Atlantis Studio sculptures.
With all of the accolades and recognition Devoti says that it is excitement and the messages of joy from customers and collectors who reach out to express how much they love the work in their home, the ambiance the sculptures create and how it makes people feel that is the true benchmark of the work of the studio.
Currently Devoti shares time between the studio in San Juan De Oriente and his home in North Carolina where he his wife Mar and daughter Sofia share in the excitement of both designing and making the work as well as sharing them with the art loving public.
Reach out of start working with Paul and Atlantis Studio to create the perfect sculpture for you today!