The experiences of experts - El Periódico

"I do not think of anything religious, but of a story of goodness"

MONTSERRAT RIBES SCULPTURE OF CRIB FIGURES

Nativity figures have been her devotion since she was little, though not for religious reasons. Montserrat Ribes, sculptor and author of the famous Elisa ceramic figures, loved it when her father brought two new figurines home "always in clay" every year. Now, for 17 years, she has been designing them herself, characters from 8 to 50 centimeters, all of them present in nativity scenes of all sizes.

"When I do them, I don't think much about the religious aspect, because each religion also tells its own story of love and kindness. A story that brings something beautiful, because a birth is always a joy ", says Ribes.

The artist from Castellar del Vallès, who has some of his figures on display in the nativity scenes of the Vatican Museum, confirms that interest in the performances has not waned in the time he has been making them. On the contrary, more and more people are not buying the figures for a nativity scene, but merely as part of a collection that they display all year round in a home showcase. "I can't complain: it seems that people are looking for more and more quality figures."

By the end of this year's holiday, their work is done. He designed about fifteen originals that are now being reproduced to reach the sales channels, including the popular fairs in Santa Llúcia, which are also increasingly popular. And the fact that today's flats often lack enough space to be able to assemble a nativity scene with large figures. "The habit of making whole cribs has been lost a bit, while in the farmhouses people had a lot of space. Now only part of the nativity scene is reproduced ”.

Interview conducted by Josep Garcia for the newspaper El Periódico de Catalunya on November 22, 2009