Barcelona, 1981. It is only five years since Xavier Mañosa set up Apparatu and in such a short space of time he has managed to position himself as one of the most interesting ceramists of the moment. At that time he was living in Berlin. Perhaps this perspective helped him to end up doing what he had seen his parents do since he was a child and which he had rejected out of rebellion during his training as an industrial designer. The interesting thing in his case has been the combination of both factors. His perspective and eagerness to experiment as a designer plus the knowledge of the trade from his family background.

Until 2009, Mañosa’s creative base was in Berlin, from where he returned to the family workshop in Barcelona, in an old industrial estate where ceramics were previously manufactured for the construction sector and which now functions as an antiques centre, so the setting was most inspiring.

What distinguishes Mañosa as a contemporary ceramist is fundamentally his boldness in mixing materials and exploring new formal expressions. Another issue that Xavier Mañosa addresses from the outset, which is an obvious manifestation of his training as a designer and of his belonging to a digital generation, is the staging of his work. On the one hand, he defines himself as a brand. On the other, it gives visibility to its work through a website and its participation in countless events in Spain and abroad.

Apparatu’s pieces have been seen at contemporary design fairs and festivals in London, Frankfurt, Saint- Étienne, Tokyo, New York, Mexico and Stockholm. Also in Madrid and Barcelona.