By Rachel Chase
Artisans who were forced to leave Ayacucho during years of terrorism have returned and restarted their work.
The Peruvian region of Ayacucho was hit especially hard during the years of terrorism. Many people fled the area, facing hardship and restarting their lives in other parts of the country.
Among those affected were folk artists in Ayacucho. According to El Comercio, violence forced artisans and potential customers alike out of the area. Now, however, some have been able to return to Ayacucho, where their folk artwork has become a local attraction.
Textile artisan Fernando Arango of Qorimaqui (“golden hands” in Quechua) workshop in Huamanga explained his enthusiasm for his work. Speaking to Aaron Ormeño of El Comercio, Arango said “Since I was a kid, I’ve been working, my dad made me work. I’ve been learning and working since I was eight years old. And eventually, I found my vocation, which is my passion, folk art [artesania]. I get to express what I’m feeling, all my emotions […] I express them all in my pieces.”
“The motifs [on the pieces] are always generally very traditional, but also modern, you know? It depends a lot on the customer.” Arango said. Pointing to a traditional floral design incorporating plants native to the Peruvian Andes, he added, “We also try to express our customs, our traditions.”
El Comercio reports that Arango has even found success in the United States, having sold 500 embroidered belts to US buyers in 2012. “We do the embroidery by hand. We work with people who are specialists at this […] People really like the floral details that we incorporate into the designs. We use alpaca, sheep, and cotton fibers to make the woven goods, always with natural dyes. We want to keep growing, so the talent of Ayacucho will become more well-known within Peru and in different parts of the world.”
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Among those affected were folk artists in Ayacucho. According to El Comercio, violence forced artisans and potential customers alike out of the area. Now, however, some have been able to return to Ayacucho, where their folk artwork has become a local attraction.
Textile artisan Fernando Arango of Qorimaqui (“golden hands” in Quechua) workshop in Huamanga explained his enthusiasm for his work. Speaking to Aaron Ormeño of El Comercio, Arango said “Since I was a kid, I’ve been working, my dad made me work. I’ve been learning and working since I was eight years old. And eventually, I found my vocation, which is my passion, folk art [artesania]. I get to express what I’m feeling, all my emotions […] I express them all in my pieces.”
“The motifs [on the pieces] are always generally very traditional, but also modern, you know? It depends a lot on the customer.” Arango said. Pointing to a traditional floral design incorporating plants native to the Peruvian Andes, he added, “We also try to express our customs, our traditions.”
El Comercio reports that Arango has even found success in the United States, having sold 500 embroidered belts to US buyers in 2012. “We do the embroidery by hand. We work with people who are specialists at this […] People really like the floral details that we incorporate into the designs. We use alpaca, sheep, and cotton fibers to make the woven goods, always with natural dyes. We want to keep growing, so the talent of Ayacucho will become more well-known within Peru and in different parts of the world.”
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This is a fascinating article. Thank you for going to the trouble to forward it and sharing it with us.
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