La Jornada: The artist Demián Flores gave the Original meeting a football flavor

With designs by Oaxacan visual artist Demián Flores, the special edition of the Original textile, decorative and utilitarian art meeting, which began yesterday at the Los Pinos Cultural Center, stood out for its soccer flavor. Held in the context of the World Cup of that sport, the textile art festival brings together sales of crafts, as well as dance, goldsmithing, pottery and oral storytelling workshops.

On the first day, in Plaza Francisco I. Madero, members of the traditional dance group Hermanos Lucero Zambrano, from Acatlán, Puebla, performed the traditional Tecuanes dance that became a parade. Dressed as jaguars, old men, devils and witches, the dancers toured the cultural center to the Loyalty roundabout cracking their whips and tinkling their bells to the rhythm of flutes and drums.

This edition also stands out for its Original Passport, a small document in which stamps can be collected, which whoever completes can exchange for prizes. To do this, visitors must find balls hidden in parts of the cultural complex.

Victorina Nava, originally from Temixco, Morelos, began working with ceramics 40 years ago. He learned it from his mother, who taught him how to make jars.

“My mother taught me, but she did not venture to make figurines. That was my contribution. It is hard work, because we have to bring the earth from somewhere else and the cooking is in a wood oven, and it goes through three periods. Now my daughter helps me. This is the second time I come to Original and it has helped me a lot. They bring us to the city and everything I sell is a complete profit for me,” he comments.

His pieces highlight animalism. There are turtles, a small bowl with the head and legs of a Chihuahua dog, among other figures. According to the artisan, a year ago she sold 70 percent of the pieces she brought.

Jonathan Nájera works in wood and leather, and is originally from Huitzuco de los Figueroa, Guerrero. He makes wooden effigies in the shape of jaguars with boar hair as whiskers. He also makes leather masks that he decorates with wood. The first ones take a week to complete; the latter, a month and a half.

“My work is an inherited tradition that my grandfather started. I learned a lot from him and my father; the form of our work is already beginning to become famous. This is my second time in Original; the previous one I went to Mérida, Yucatán. I took advantage of tourism to sell, this is good support, because they cover our lodging and food.

“On that occasion I brought about 300 pieces; now I bring less because I didn’t have enough time,” he shares.

Feather art is a pre-Hispanic tradition. The Michoacan artist Lilia Álvarez has focused on rescuing this tradition. Among the pieces he sells there are cameos and postcards that stand out for their color.

“I got the taste for it after studying medicine; I took courses and learned that patience is your best ally. Rescuing this art seems wonderful to me, because we can make real canvases with it; I even have paintings that I have made with pure feathers. The last time I came I sold almost everything. The best thing is to understand that it must be possible to make a living from art, and Original helps generate its own market,” he commented.

The Undersecretary of Cultural Development, Marina Núñez Vespaloba, and the director of the National Fund for Crafts, Sonia Santos, stated that this is the edition that has brought together the most participants and the one that has organized the most activities.

“I don’t want this ceremony to be something formal, but rather to be a first dialogue for all of us who work for you. Take advantage of these four days in Los Pinos to sell, but also to rest and get to know your colleagues, talk and form collaboration. We want you to relax, enjoy and accompany us to play a dropped”, said Núñez Vespaloba.

He concluded: “this is the first Original that manages to bring together so many artisans, and it is also the one that has organized the most activities with the aim that the visitors’ stay lasts longer and they can take the time to visit them all. We have programming for babies, children, young people and grandparents.”

Until Sunday, 515 artisans will exhibit their creations for sale to the public at the Los Pinos Cultural Center.