Costa Rica is known throughout the world for its commitment to sustainability and peace. Over the last four years, we’ve discovered another source of its rich cultural heritage through local artisans, who combine modern style with ancient craftsmanship. From hand-blown glass sculptures in San Jose to traditional ceramics in Guanacaste, each unique piece captures the essence of this beautiful country.
To bring you the work of these incredible artisans, NOVICA has collaborated closely with a branch of the Costa Rican government — the Promotora de Comercio Exterior — whose support of this project has been critical to its success. It is our honor to present 79 of these talented creators. We consider them to be living treasures, and we’re so excited to showcase their work.
Artistry in Motion
Meet some of our incredible Costa Rican artisans and fall in love with their work.
Guisselle Mora
Guisselle remembers peering into her grandmother’s jewelry box and staring at the beautiful treasures inside. She remembers her father fixing an electrical problem in the house and leaving discarded cables behind, which she would turn into rings and earrings. Today, she has her own workshop where she turns out gorgeous jewelry that has us all enchanted.
Giorgiana and Miloika Penon
Sister artisan team, Giorgiana and Miloika, have got rustic chic down to a science. They craft grainy teak wood serving trays, cool enough for urban kitchens and sturdy enough for country farmhouses. From mortars and pestles to cheese platters to serving utensils, these artisans can do it all. We’re so excited to see what they do next.
Elpidio Chavarria
Elpidio recalls his earliest days in his family’s ceramics workshop. At twelve, he was already preparing, molding, shaping, and painting clay. He says, “It was a world filled with colors where my mind could imagine all kinds of things that I later created in clay.” Now he creates replicas of pre-Hispanic vessels and is humbled by the responsibility of revealing history through art.
Lidia and Joaquin
Costa Rica is the adopted home of husband and wife team Lidia and Joaquin, who breathe in “the colors and natural diversity” of the country and, in turn, produce whimsical ceramic figurines that we absolutely love. Their brightly colored animals skirt the boundary between the real and the imaginative, but every single one is bursting with vitality and life.
