garden sculptures

Surrounded by an array of flowers, rays of light burst in a halo about the Virgin Mary. Alejandro Chávez shows her expression of loving concern for her son, Jesus, and for mankind. Known as a retablo, this traditional diorama is housed in a colorful chest crafted of wood and painted. Chávez carefully models each figure from ceramic plaster and paints them by hand.

This colorful retablo by Alejandro Chávez houses six scenes taken from Andean beliefs and customs. The first features local animals, followed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The third shelf features Andean shepherds followed by the traditional Hat Dance. The fifth scene is about picking prickly pears in Ayacucho and the last scene portrays a local celebratory dance. Each ceramic figurine is crafted and painted by hand.

Playing traditional instruments and dancing with revelry, a group of people celebrate baby Jesus in this retablo by Peruvian artisan Erika Ulloa. Within a box of wood, the musicians, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, and an alpaca are crafted of ceramic for an intricate composition. Erika diligently paints the retablo by hand, opening with floral doors that swing on faux leather hinges.

Crafted by hand, this retablo tells the story of Easter in four scenes. Alejandro Chávez depicts Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and, just above, Jesus on the cross where the devout file past in a religious procession. Mary and the disciples grieve his death by candlelight. Yet he rises again and ascends into heaven. Known as a retablo, this traditional diorama is housed in a colorful chest crafted of wood and painted. Chávez carefully models each figure from ceramic plaster and paints them all by hand.

Celestial scenes inhabit the upper composition of this altar, as figures in traditional Andean attire celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ beneath a rich, floral canopy. This form of Peruvian folk art is known as the retablo, especially characteristic of the Ayacucho region. The frame is crafted by hand from wood, while Alejandro Chávez fills the shelves with tiny ceramic characters painted to joyous perfection.