Claudia Aguayo

“My name is Claudia Aguayo. I was born in the beautiful imperial city of Cuzco, Peru, a historic and majestic city. I consider myself to be an organized, very hardworking, and disciplined woman.

“Like many, I have lived through difficult moments during my journey through life. When I was very young, I became a mother. It was very complicated facing all of the obstacles that came with it. My daughter’s father and I separated when she was very young and I had to find a way to get ahead by myself. Thanks to God, we made each other strong. She has been my primary motivation and reason for getting up every day. The most marvelous thing about life, without a doubt, is my daughter--God’s gift. She became my friend and my confidant. Today, she is an entrepreneurial, dedicated, responsible, and studious woman. I am very proud of her.

“The first time that I saw jewelry crafting was on television. In my day, there was no internet, so I had to teach myself. In this way, I learned to weave silver, and I began to make my first piece. When I was a child, I wove clothing, but then I encountered weaving with silver and I loved it. I was enamored with this type of jewelry, and I knew that I would want to dedicate myself to weaving silver. I enrolled in design courses in order to specialize in this art and create my own jewelry.

“Achieving mastery is not easy, and it is still challenging to this day. Nothing but practice, perseverance, and passion for art can help you succeed. Little by little, I began mastering the art of weaving silver. My ability was growing noticeably better with each new piece. I enjoy it very much.

“My plans and dreams for the future are to achieve recognition for my art, not only at the local level, but at an international level, as well. I also want to help more women in my community improve themselves and achieve their goals.

“What I like the most about my art is designing and working with gems. Seeing a finished piece is very gratifying, but even more satisfying is seeing my clients enjoy and love my work.

“The tools that I use to weave inspire me a lot. Simply seeing the threads and the crochet awakens within me an infinite desire to do what impassions me so much.

“I am very thankful to Novica for giving me the opportunity to be here and share my art.”