Lino Alvarez (1954- ) was born in Sonora, Mexico, where he graduated from the University of Sonora in 1974. After spending two years at the Contemporary Craft Centre, University of Southern California, San Diego, he worked as a production potter in the United States and lived in Spain and the Middle East, before moving to Australia in 1981. Basing himself in Sydney, he worked first at Blackfriars Pottery and Florenz, then established the La Paloma Pottery in Newtown with Ronald Charles in 1983. By 1986, they had been joined by Mark Heidenriech, Ben Stone and apprentice Derek Masters and, by 1989, Robert Slingsby. The pottery specialised in terracotta pots, some as large as 100 kg. In 1997, Alvarez and his partner Kim Deacon moved the pottery to Hill End, an old gold mining town two-hours' drive from Orange, NSW, where he still lives and works. Alvarez is perhaps best-known for his collaboration with painter Gary Shead on a series of ceramic vessels inspired by Ern Malley. The mark recorded in the 1986 directory for La Paloma Pottery is an impressed dove. Works may also be incised 'Lino Alvarez'.
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