THE ARTISTS: PERU

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Bertha Medina

Bertha is from Cochas Chico Huancayo, a small village high in the Andes of Peru. Bertha learned the art of gourd carving at the age of five from her father, Evaristo Medina, who is also world-famous for his work. Gourd carving goes back generations in the Medina family. Each gourd is unique and tells a story of daily life in the Peruvian Andes. The gourds she carves are grown only on the coast of Peru, and she travels there to find the right gourd for each creation. Once collected, the gourds are painstakingly hand-carved using a variety of knives, awls, and other tools. Details are then hand-painted onto the gourd, or other shading effects are created using burning cords or small twigs to mark the gourd’s surface.

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Claudio Jimenez

Claudio, his brothers and sisters were born in the village of Alcamenca, which means community working in stony earth in Quechua. Children of the noted Ayacuchan retablista, Florentino Jimenez Toma, their work has been exhibited widely in Peru and in the United States. Claudio Jimenez Quispe (Quispe is his mother's maiden name and it is traditional in Central and South America to incorporate your mother's maiden name into your last name in addition to your father's) has been making retablos since he was 7 years old. At the age of 15, Claudio Jimenez Quispe won two national competitions in folk art.

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Mabilon Jimenez

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Richard Chavez

Richard Chavez, a Peruvian artist, uses a special clay, native to the region of Ayacucho, Peru for his ceramic creations. He hand shapes the piece and prepares it with a fluid mixture of clay, water and color oxides before firing it in a low firing wood burning oven. Then each piece is hand painted with natural pigments.

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Victor Chavez

Victor Chavez, a Peruvian artist, uses a special clay, native to the region of Ayacucho, Peru for his ceramic creations. He hand shapes the piece and prepares it with a fluid mixture of clay, water and color oxides before firing it in a low firing wood burning oven. Then each piece is hand painted with natural pigments. (yes they treated us to some wine they also make early this morning!)