Maria Assunção

Maria Assunção Ribeiro was born on 8 August 1940 in Taiobeiras, Minas Gerais State. Her work was devoted to producing raw clay figures, having been taught by her mother Analia de Oliveira to work with clay. Her work includes ethnography of country life. All her figurines were black people and she would feature everyday activities: domestic chores, working in the field, spiritual and other activities. The style that made her famous continues through the work of other local artisans. She died in 2002.