Among the hustle and bustle of the Siglo XXI Convention Center, where the “Original” exhibition was held, children’s laughter mixed with the aroma of chia oil and the earthy tones of natural pigments.
In a corner of the room, small hands attentively followed the movements of teacher Janeth Villa Cruz, a Nahua artisan originally from Temalacatzingo, Guerrero, who guided them through “Maqueritos ycolores.”
This workshop, aimed at girls and boys between 9 and 11 years old, not only brings new generations closer to popular art, but also builds a bridge between cultures, territories and memories.
With patience and warmth, the teacher shared her technique, essentially with the palm of her hand; First he applied chia oil, burnished with tecoxtle and grass, and finally he painted by hand with natural pigments that he prepared from flowers, leaves and comal soot.
“Everything we use comes from nature,” he explained. “We get the black from the smoke of the comal, the yellow from the Xochipala flowers, the green from the Majahua leaf. We grind everything in metate, like our grandparents did.”
During the “Maqueritos y Colors” workshop, the girls and boys lived the complete experience of creating a craft from scratch, they applied chia oil with brushes, then with a bird feather, they mixed natural pigments and with their hands they gave color to their own gourd pieces.
The excitement was evident on their faces when they discovered that the materials came from nature—flowers, leaves, seeds and even smoke from the comal—many of them unknown in Yucatán, but everyday in the Nahua community where the teacher comes from. Every step of the process was a lesson in patience, respect and connection to the land.
Among the parents present, Ana Lizama shared that her daughter chose to attend this workshop after seeing the colorful painted toys that the artisan exhibited.
“It was a very pleasant experience, it is very important to know the origin of what you see in the stands; one would think it was something simple, but by living it you understand the work and dedication behind it. Thus, the children learn to value the utensils and pieces made by the artisans more,” he shared.
Teacher Janeth, who has been dedicated to this work for two decades, learned the traditional technique of lacquer and maque thanks to her in-laws, artisans by trade, and her parents, who made small alebrijes.
His specialty is toys such as Ferris wheels, carousels, kites, helicopters and see-saws, pieces that evoke the childhood and color of his town.
“I am passionate about my job and I want everyone to learn,” he said with emotion.
“I wouldn’t want our craftsmanship to be lost, because with it a part of our history also goes.”
Their testimony, full of pride and also nostalgia, reveals a reality that many artisan towns in the country experience, the migration of young people looking for other opportunities and the difficulty of keeping a tradition alive in the absence of a market.
“Many go to the United States because they say there is no work, but I don’t give up. I always say, I’m going to give it my all, and this is what I’ve lived for.”
For the teacher, participating for the first time in the “Origina” expo and getting to know Mérida has been a dream come true.
“I like to express my work and share it. When I’m with the children, I even feel like crying because I feel like I’m giving them something of my heart,” he confesses.
The final scene of the workshop showed the spirit of the meeting; The children, happy, showed their parents the painted gourd pieces, while the teacher said goodbye to them with a smile.
In each color, in each gourd, there is a piece of Warrior leaving seeds in Mérida.
Because as long as there are girls and boys who learn the value of what is handmade, the memory of the people will continue to shine with the same brilliance as the colorful maque.— DARINKA RUIZ MORIMOTO
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