Cedar and Leather Floral Bird Decorative Box from Peru, "Andean Flight"

"I was born in Lima in 1989. I'm immensely grateful to my parents for all their support and the advice they gave me as I was growing up. When I finished high school, I entered culinary school to become a chef, but wasn't able to finish due to economic problems. I like sports, and my favorite is soccer.

"I began learning the art of woodcarving and tooled leather at an early age by watching my father at the place where he worked. He carefully taught me all of the processes and care that this art requires. It was complicated when I started out on my own because I had to work very hard to save up for my tools and be able to have a workshop of my own.

"As I built up my workshop, I had some tough times. I went out knocking on doors to find clients, and a number of these businesses turned their backs on me. Thank God I was able to get ahead with a lot of effort, hard work and humility.

"To create finely tooled leather, you need to look after a lot of details. Seeing how painstakingly my father worked and his dedication to his art motivated me to develop these skills correctly. Now I teach the friends and relatives who assist me in my workshop, and I'm very proud of this. We work with leather, different kinds of wood and the metal accessories that go with each design.

"I enjoy developing new designs. Each one reflects my effort and dedication."