Ayacucho Bloom Wool and leather accent handbag

"I come from a big family, I have seven siblings and we grew up in the beautiful city of Huamanga. As the youngest child, I observed and learned about Ayacucho's legendary art from my parents, who are both artisans. They learned to spin, thread, dye and weave wool according to the techniques originating in Santa Ana.

"Coming from a family that is deeply immersed in traditional textiles, I view art as the most important livelihood for a considerable part of the Ayacucho people, especially during the days when Peruvian handcrafts were so famous.

"Before I was allowed on the loom I had to wait and work on different tasks – like a rite of passage – such as preparing the threads and so on. Only then did my parents and siblings allow me to get on the loom and weave my first piece, which didn't come out as good as I thought it would.

"When I was a kid I loved to draw, so now instead of drawing on paper I create my designs on weaves. I describe my art as something that comes from my innermost being and which I truly value, because all of my strength goes into everything I do.

"I'm motivated by a desire to share everything I've learned with everyone that's around me and works with me, as well as by the notion that people will value and admire what is well-done. I wish to transmit the beauty of our handcrafted traditions through my art, which honors the history and culture of our ancestors.

"This is my livelihood. I breathe it and think about it from dawn to dusk, when I'm thinking on what I will be making next. I plan the different stages I want a product to go through to make sure it is as perfect as possible.

"One of the greatest challenges I've encountered is getting other artisans to trust me. For different social reasons, sometimes artisans can be mistrustful of others who have greater experience and have acquired more knowledge. Thankfully this has been changing as more organizations are created to represent and look after artisans.

"I currently represent the Technical Board of Ayacucho's Regional Productive Chain of Textile Handcrafts, which was created by the government, and I also represent the Southern Andes Regional Association, which promotes all types of handcrafts from Ayacucho.

"What we do makes us proud. We share with you what we have learned from our millenary history. I would like to thank Novica for their efforts in promoting Peruvian culture through art, and for supporting artisans."