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A brilliant painted wood box opens to reveal handcrafted masks. Used during the Carnival celebrations preceding Lent, they show an astonishing array of animals, human and fantasy faces. Alejandro Chávez displays them in a traditional diorama, known as a retablo; each figurine is modeled by hand.
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Novica sales provide Alejandro's family workshop with a steady cash flow. These sales account for nearly half of their monthly income, helping to ensure their survival. Markets and other seasonal outlets provide supplemental income that contributes to their annual living expenses. In the coming years, Alejandro hopes to grow his workshop and better his family by increasing his Novica sales.
At school in Ayacucho, Alejandro began to learn the indigenous art of Andean retableria. Seeking to refine his craft, he apprenticed at the workshop of Angel Castro to learn the secrets of a master retablista. Upon his teacher's death, Alejandro founded his own workshop. There he began to incorporate his wife's modeled figures into his traditional retablos. Today Alejandro's nephews are his apprentices and his family workshop continues to craft their beloved retablos, which recount the culture and traditions of the Andes.
One year away from his 50th birthday, Alejandro and his wife adopted a son and a daughter (Jose and Carol) from their hometown. Today Alejandro continues to provide for the education of his children and his grandchild, who joined the family in 2018. His daughter Carol is studying accounting and his son Jose is at the police academy.
Unable to have children, the couple decided to adopt two children from their hometown. Their daughter Carol now has a child and the two of them live with Alejandro and his wife.
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52 Artisans Impacted
1 Helpful Vote
06/16/2016
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I gave this to my daughter as a gift. It is a lovely reminder of the many faces of November 2.
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It's been prominently displayed for nearly 10 years and I still enjoy finding little nuances of the masks.
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This is a stunning piece of handicraft work. I enjoy the retablo very much.
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Beautiful, colorful, exactly like the picture. Bigger then I expected. Very well built and so cool. Makes me happy just looking at it!
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Absolutely beautiful piece. Quality, craftsmanship, creativity, inspiration--I cannot praise this piece enough. Gracias, Alejandro!
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01/26/2017
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We are so pleased with Alejandro Chavez's mask collection! We have collected many masks over the years (mostly on travels) and this was placed on a floating shelf and fits in well.
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"In every one of my creations I hope you will be able to recognize my great love for this art form."
Joan
