Fruit pipes from Munisa Ceramica, created by Isabela Munoz. Photograph courtesy of Isabela Munoz.
In this day and age, cannabis flower is celebrated more than ever as a natural medicine that heals physical ailments and also promotes a grounding of consciousness. This increasing acceptance presents a market for those who want to experience the beauty of cannabis.
However, Isabela Munoz believes that the divine consumption of cannabis should be accompanied by using equally sacred smoking equipment. Therefore, she created Munisa Ceramica, a lavish brand of ceramic smokeware that incorporates her Mexican heritage with an intricate pottery technique. As an independent artist, Munoz creates unique fruit-inspired pipes, ashtrays and more. She rejoices in using four natural elements to produce handmade pieces of utilitarian art.
Viva México
At an early age, Munoz traveled from her hometown, Ciudad Juárez, to visit relatives in Monterey and Yucatan, Mexico. Hence, within her explorations she became fond of the exuberant colors and natural environment that Mexico has to offer.
Munoz reminisces, “when you go to Mexico, everything you see is color. You see it in the dances, with the colorful dresses that the women use, and when you walk around los mercados you see all of these fruits. The aesthetics of un mercado are all colorful dresses and purses. Everything is handmade.”
Her earliest memories of a colorful Mexico are mirrored through her art. The exceptional fruit pipes and ashtrays she creates are a direct expression of her sentiment. Munoz also honors her heritage by staying true to old fashioned techniques she learned when sculpting during her travels. Mainly, she sculpts using pinch pot and slab techniques, which she describes as two primary archetypes of clay design.
“I try not to buy a lot of things. This is something I tell people, when you start you want it all. You want all the equipment and things, but you don’t really need it with this material which is one of the things I love. You literally just need dirt, water, your hands and fire and that’s it,” she explains.
Munoz is inspired by working with natural elements to cultivate products that in turn, are used to consume a natural medicine, cannabis. Munoz continues, “these tools are two little bamboo sticks I made and they are amazing. They are the two tools I use for everything, I don’t use anything else.”
Post from @munisa_ceramica in Instagram.
Going to California
All of this valuable knowledge that Munoz acquired in Mexico followed her when she came to a turning point in her life. At 15 years old, Munoz — who was originally born in El Paso, Texas, just on the other side of the border from Ciudad Juárez — moved to the U.S. with her family.
Initially, Munoz was unamused by her family’s decision to move. That’s because she has such an affinity with Mexican culture. However, she quickly realized that she could venture throughout the U.S. to pursue her dream of making a living from her art.
Fast forward to the present, Munoz is quite literally living out her dreams. However, her success with Munisa Ceramica was not simply curated overnight. In California, Munoz began her journey by selling terrariums and jewelry on the boardwalk in Venice Beach.
“I would make little sculptures to put inside the terrariums, which is what people liked about them. I’d make little gnomes and mushrooms. I also made air dried clay stuff like incense holders, boxes and jewelry to sell at the beach. For two years I survived like that,” she recalls.
The Pursuit of Happiness
After her time in Venice Beach, Munoz attained a more stable income by working as a cake decorator. Although this might seem a bit divergent from her objective, Munoz explains how this experience actually built up her confidence.
She clarifies, “…that’s what taught me the most because using the fondant was really similar to clay. I did that for about five years.”
In 2019, Munoz went from making money as a cake decorator to selling her first piece of art. She expresses, “my first sale was April 20, 2019. I was working in a community studio and they were encouraging me to make a sale. I did it and it was amazing. That was the day I decided to continue Munisa as my job forever.”
Post from @munisa_ceramica in Instagram.
Since then, Munoz established her little corner of paradise on the beach in Santa Monica, California. She operates out of a studio that is brought to life by the sunshine and a variety of plants and colors that emulate her Mexican heritage. She also remains rooted in her creative process with the help of cannabis.
Munoz divulges, “I have so much to handle right now with this business and when I get to the creative part of it, smoking makes me focus on that one thing. It’s really helpful for me to be able to smoke and then just focus on painting and enjoy it and forget about everything else.”
Customer Satisfaction
Ceramic dinnerware artist, Aram Guzman, has known Munoz since the beginning of her journey. Originally acquainted through working in the same studio, Pot LA, Guzman recalls purchasing a mango pipe, one of Munoz’s first pieces in 2019.
Post from @munisa_ceramica in Instagram.
He explains, “what’s cool is the fruit itself because it’s such a natural shape. It fits so well in your hand like the way you grab an apple. I think it’s just got a nice feel on your hands. I think that is what I’ve always appreciated is that you can hold it really easily.”
Thoroughly appeased by the functionality and beauty of his mango pipe, Guzman bought a second pipe from Munoz earlier this year. However, this recent purchase, a grapefruit pipe, resides in his space as an untouched art piece. Guzman discloses that he continues to smoke from the mango pipe, while the grapefruit pipe is a shelved artifact that resembles the respect he has for Munoz’s artistry.
Post from @munisa_ceramica in Instagram.
“[…] She brought all of these techniques that are used in cake decoration that maybe people don’t know to do or apply in clay,” he continues, “I love learning so much from her and going to her for questions on how she would do something. She really does know a lot.”
Nothing can enunciate an artist’s work quite like another artist who understands the technicality behind their craft. Guzman is one of many customers who appreciates Munoz not only for her product, but for her story and sincerity as well.
A day in the Life of an Artist
A dedicated craftswoman, Munoz is careful to not let the mundane business side of her operation disrupt her creative process. Impressively, her daily routine is built around making intentional time to hone in on her artistry.
“In the beginning of my mornings, I ride the bike to my studio. It’s about an hour ride so that gives me a clear head and I get to the studio with a lot of energy.”
Subsequently, Munoz centers herself by meditating and smoking cannabis before she creates. She illustrates, “I always come to the studio and light a palo santo and try to forget about everything that I have to do besides painting and sculpting. Then I put on some music and it’s all beautiful after that.”
Photo courtesy of Isabela Munoz.
However, Munisa Ceramica’s success creates a demand that is nearly impossible for one woman to accomplish alone. As a truly passionate artist, Munoz accepts this challenge as an opportunity to inspire others. Admirably so, Munoz is onboarding a student to help with the workload. In the process, this student will have the opportunity to learn from her.
“I’m hoping to help people follow their passion like how I got help,” she says.
In the future, Munoz intends to expand Munisa Ceramica into a business where she can teach, create and sell her artwork under one roof.
“There is a lot of young talent out there, so I want to have that space to teach and share what I know,” she says.
Until then, Munoz continues to create ethereal fruit pipes that are nostalgic tokens of her time in Mexico. Nevertheless, she confesses, these fruit pipes are just the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come from Munisa Ceramica.
“The fruits are the beginning of Munisa; but I have many more things to show,” she teases.
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