Macedonio Palomino

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“My name is Macedonio Eduardo Palomino Torres. I was born in the Ayacucho department of Peru. I consider myself to be a creative and sensitive man who is always moving. My ideas do not stop flowing, and even though many of them do not work, I am still very persevering. If an idea comes to mind, I figure out how to accomplish it. Life is full of hazards and challenges. The point is to rise above them and never be stagnant. This is something that I always think about and try to transmit through the art that I develop.

“I have experienced very difficult times in my life. When I was 14, in my third year of secondary school, an era of terrorism began, and I had to leave the city and go to my birth village where I lived through times of terror due to that war. There, my father taught me the art of weaving on a loom. After some years, I returned to the city of Ayacucho. By 1998, I was married and had three children. I was poor, and worked as a mason in order to give my children something to eat. I had a small loom in the house where I wove bed covers for my family because I did not have money to buy them.

“In 2002, a representative of the PARA project came to my house. They observed my art and were very impacted by it. Thanks to that project, I could improve the quality of my life and that of my coworkers. Thanks to the PARA project, we can show our handicrafts to the world.

“I inherited the art of handwoven textiles thanks to my father, but I perfected my techniques in the workshop of Mr. Edmundo Huaranca Gutierrez, and time has turned us into close friends. Today, he is my brother-in-law. It was he who inspired me and taught me to transmit my ideas and convert them into art. I hope that this art persists through time. Because of this, I teach people who want to learn. I want this art to transcend, because we are descendents of the Wari culture who were masters of this art.

“Being unable to complete my secondary education, I decided to involve myself fully and specialize in handwoven textiles. I love my profession of being an artisan, since I can create and innovate new ideas and designs and transmit them in my art. The people who view my work admire it and are surprised. Hearing this type of commentary makes me want to continue creating new pieces.

“My perseverance has helped me a lot. I consider myself to be a true fanatic of Wari, Paracas, and Inca textiles. When weaving one of the designs of my ancestors and recreating the production process, I feel proud of belonging to these grand cultures that lived in my country. There have been difficult times, but I never renounced my dreams and my profession, by which I could show to the world that my culture is not extinguished.

“My hope is that our art persists and that new generations to come will take pride in our culture. With respect to my pieces, I dream that they become a recognized trademark and that they have a symbol of quality that is valued and respected in my country and throughout the entire world. I love my art because I can show the world that I have creativity and ingenuity. I am inspired by nature and the ecosystem of the Ayacuchan Andes, as well as the seasons of the year.

“Because we live in a globalized world, I have to improve the quality of my craft, implementing quality control techniques and trying to be on par with style and tradition. What I mean to say is that I have to assume the challenges that face me without losing the essence of my art.

“I live with my beautiful family. We work together as a team, composed of my four children and my wife. My wife is in charge of teaching embroidery techniques to women who want to learn this art. My oldest child, who is deaf and mute, has an incredible ability for finishing pieces. He is a specialist in tailoring. My second child is an administrator. She is in charge of marketing. My third child is in charge of the designs and product sketches. My fourth child wants to study style and design. She has actually made a few prototypes that we have used.

“The benefits of my art for the community are its sustainability as well as our mission to help other people, improving their quality of life. Our business takes care of the environment, incentivizing its protection and conservation. Thanks to this ecosystem that surrounds us, we are inspired to create new designs. I am very happy to be a part of the Novica family, being able to share my art and grow. My family and I are very grateful.”