We consider ourselves lucky to have met so many artisans on our KOEL Magazine journey over the past five years. And like so many others, our very first ‘maker’ we ever interviewed exchanged a comfortable career for a pursuit of her dreams. Let’s meet ceramicist Francesca Aldea in Santiago, who started Minka ceramics from Chile.

It started with a passionate vision, a dream to do things differently. All to create a bigger, more impactful concept. Fran was earning a stable income in her career in retail. She was traveling, and meeting lots of interesting people. But when she realised that what she was buying from afar, could be made by talented makers locally, she felt a change had to be made.