Willy’s family has been making handicrafts for 40 years. His maternal grandmother, Leonarda Bermudez, taught all of her children and grandchildren the business. Today, four of her children and eight of her grandchildren are artisans. Willy was raised by his mother, Blanca Flores Bermudez, a teacher. He has never met his father. Willy worked at […]
Working with Minga since 2005 Workshop: Manta, Ecuador Products: Carved Tagua Washington is a skilled tagua carver who has been working with Minga since 2005. Washington is 36 years old and lives in Bajos de la Palma, in Manabí province. He is married with two children: 10 year old Pamela and 9 year old Jorge. […]
Patricia and her family business in artisan goods are known for their high quality products and for striving to meet deadlines. The business was started by Patricia’s father, Herminio, who is from Pisa, a small town near Cuzco. In 1978 he started in ceramics, selling his products to tourists in Lima. A few years later […]
Ofelia was born in the Ecuadorian Amazon region that borders Perú, right next to the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve. As an elementary school teacher, she began her career in the rural schools of the jungle. This experience introduced her to the native culture of the area as well as the great deprivations that the inhabitants suffer. […]
Home: Otavalo, Imbabura Province of Ecuador Products: Leather Jewelry & Accessories Born: 1963 Favorite Food: Grains Favorite Music: Instrumental & Andina Favorite Pasttime: Riding a Bike Favorite Vacation Spot: The Beach Miguel worked for a long time as a mechanic although he was always interested in art. He finally decided to pursue his interest when […]
Mery is from Lima and is 33 years old. She lives with her parents and younger brother, Angel. Mery’s parents adopted Angel at three months old from a neighbor who was unable to care for him. To Mery, he has become “a brother of the heart.” Mery works with Minga making ceramics for use in […]
Working with Minga Since: 2010 Workshop: Lima, Perú Products: Stamped Leather Goods Mercedes and her husband, Pablo, started their business in leather shoes and accessories over 30 years ago. They first started in Ayacucho where Mercedes was studying, but had to move the business to Lima because of the increased violence of the Shining Path […]
Working with Minga since 2005 Workshop: Otavalo, Ecuador Products: Wool/Cotton Sweaters, boucle scarves, Glittens, Hat & Mitten sets
Marisol lives in Tabio, Colombia, about two hours outside of Bogotá. She was working as an industrial designer in 1998, when she fell in love with the technique of coiling wool and wire to create her whimsical characters. In 2006, Marisol started her company. It has since grown to include a large following in the […]
Date of Birth: May 31,1965 Lives in: Juliaca Puno Favorite hobby: Travelling to Arequipa Favorite food: Marinated Chicken Favorite music: Huayno Mario learned at an early age how to loom from his parents, Cristóbal and Doña, but only started making dolls in 2002 when he was inspired by a doll he saw in Cuzco and decided to make his own […]