Peter King moved to Pensacola from Tarpon Springs in 1970 to attend the University of West Florida. In 1973, he graduated with honors, gaining degrees in both Philosophy and Religion. Peter received his Doctorate of Fine Arts in 2005 from the University of West Florida.
After graduating, Peter remained in the Pensacola area and continued to work in construction trades that had put him through college. Having been bitten by the pottery bug while at the University of West Florida, Peter decided to apply his interest in ceramics to the building industry.
In 1975, he approached the builder he was working for as a carpenter with the idea of making handmade ceramic sinks and tiles for the homes they were building. In February of 1977, Peter founded StoneHaus with the firm idea of making it the first pottery studio in America dedicated to making one-of-a-kind architectural ceramics. In 1985, after dozens of large-scale architectural projects, Peter wrote and published his first article on the subject for the international ceramics magazine, "Ceramics Monthly. "
Since then, Peter has continued to advance his work at a frenetic pace, producing hundreds of architectural projects while writing dozens of articles for national and international magazines and reviews. With his increasing recognition in the fields of both art and architecture, others have begun writing stories about his work. In 1998, Peter was featured in "This Old House" Magazine and the HGTV show "Dream Builders" as well. Articles appeared about his teaching workshops in "Clay Times" in the U.S. and "Contact" a Canadian ceramics magazine.
In 1995, Peter taught a workshop in architectural ceramics at the University of Costa Rica where he met his wife, Professor Xinia Marin. Xinia brings over 30 years of her own ceramic experience to the art now being produced at StoneHaus. In 1996, Peter moved to Costa Rica for six months with two goals, to become fluent in Spanish and finish his book on architectural ceramics. The book "Architectural Ceramics" published by Lark Books is the first book of its kind. It is printed in full color with numerous photos detailing the process Peter has developed to produce his art. When Peter first thought of creating architectural scale work there was no published body of knowledge available. Peter invented his own methods of creating architectural ceramics. With the publication of this book artists have for the first time a single source for information and they can tap into Peter's 35 years of experience.
Peter and his wife Xinia Marin had a major show "Architectural Passages" touring various museums in the U.S. The show consists of full scale Architectural works. It was on display at the Museum of the Americas (O.A.S), Washington, DC, in 2001. Peter and Xinia installed one of their pieces from this show, "911 - Homage to America" in downtown Pensacola.
Peter W. King does not consider himself as either a sculptor or potter. His sole interest is to develop new and original form of architectural ornamentation that speaks from our own culture.
Xinia Marin grew up in a small house only 300 yards from the location of the first European settlement in Costa Rica. She lived in this same house from the age offive until her move to Florida a few years ago. This first Spanish settlement was called "Ciudad de Lodo" (City of Mud) because of the ever-present seas of mud that eventually caused the settlers to move the city 3 miles away to higher ground. The area continued to be used as a source of clay and was eventually resettled, largely by potters, because the location gave them close access to their primary materials, clay. The present day town is called "El Tejar" (The Roof Tile) after the many small roof-tile factories previously located there.
Prior to the introduction of mass-produced plastic, metal, and ceramic items a great many "tejarefios" produced all sorts of kitchenware in small workshops that were part of the house. Being thus, the making of ceramics was the work of the entire family.
Xinia's family moved to El Tejar in 1958 when she was five years old. At this time home production of traditional ceramics had dwindled, yet there remained a handful offamilies still dedicated to this work. One was a family "Los Jimenez" descended from Indians. They lived only 20 yards from Xinia's house. Her older brother Herman took interest in the local activity. He was charged with caring for the family's few cows and as they lived in town, had to take them into the surroundings hills each day to graze. While they were grazing, Herman would dig clay from the ground and make clay animals that he sun-dried and sold to the locals for their "pesebres" (Christmas manger scenes). Little Xinia was drawn to clay and watching her older brother work. When she was 10, Herman was killed, at the age of23, in a tragic accident. Xinia's interest in ceramics continued and she began frequenting the nearby Jimenez to watch the various family members work in clay.
Year's later, Xinia, through scholarships, gained her Licenciatura in art (Master's equivalent) from the University of Costa Rica in 1976. Ceramics continued to be her passion and having learned more about the traditional ceramics of Costa Rica, she traveled repeatedly to Guaitil de Nicoya near Costa Rica's pacific coast. Like el Tejar in former times, almost all the families in this small rural town made ceramics using pre-Columbian techniques. There, Xinia learned not only many pre-Columbian techniques, but also many of the local myths and superstitions regarding the making of ceramics. In 1979, she won a grant for one year of study in Italy, from the Organization of American States and in 1993 won a scholarship to attend a special Ceramics Materials Investigation course at the University ofSao Paulo in Brazil. Xinia has won numerous awards and has had numerous one person and group exhibits. In 1998, she married Architectural Ceramist Peter King, thus bringing her extensive knowledge and abundant artistic talent to America. Today she is presently working with more contemporary styles and techniques beside her husband. In October 2001, they put together a magnificent exhibition at the Museum of the Americas, Washington, DC.
Xinia Marin and her husband, Architectural Ceramist Peter King, are ready for new challenges and for teaching workshops in many different countries around the world. Who knows what the future may hold, but even through Xinia's great success, she still retains her childhood passion for the traditional ceramics of the "Ciudad de Lodo".
