Angélica Vásquez Cruz is a master ceramicist from Santa María Atzompa, Oaxaca, renowned for transforming traditional pottery into intricate sculptures that explore Zapotec mythology and female identity. She is famously known for her technical mastery of "engobes," using natural mineral slips to achieve a rich palette of earth tones without the need for glazes or paints. Her work is exceptionally detailed, often featuring layered narrative scenes that can take weeks and months to complete, earning her the prestigious National Prize for Arts and Sciences. Despite early struggles for recognition in a male-dominated craft, she is now celebrated globally as a pioneer who elevated Oaxacan clay work to the status of fine art.