lovely wall art

Alejandro Chávez crafts a mirror frame rooted in Andean tradition with four different vignettes. At the top, people harvest tunas, the red fruit of the prickly pear cactus. To the left, merchants offer warm blankets in a market stall and to the right they sell handcrafted masks. Used during the Carnival celebrations preceding Lent, the masks appear in an astonishing array of animals, human and fantasy faces. Along the bottom, dancers perform the Scissors Dance. Known as retablos, these traditional dioramas feature figures carefully molded from ceramic plaster and painted by hand.

Diverse scenes representative of the Ayacucho region of Peru comprise this handcrafted retablo, a unique style of Andean folk art. The altar-like composition is divided into several shelves, populated by colorful figures and expressions of native customs. In the upper space, Alejandro Chavez recreates the birth of Jesus, as men and women dressed in traditional Peruvian attire look on proudly. The frame is made from wood, while the artist uses ceramic figures and vibrant paints to evoke the vast tapestry of human emotions.

Watching over their tiny son, Mary and Joseph smile. Above them, the three kings bring offerings to the Christ child. Shepherds worship and angels sing in the heavens above. Alejandro Chávez portrays the nativity on four levels in three dimensions. This traditional diorama is known as a retablo; each figurine is modeled and painted by hand.

Alejandro Chavez crafts a mirror frame rooted in Andean tradition with four different vignettes. At the top, Andean shepherds serenade the Holy Family beneath the stars on the very first Christmas. To the left and right, a llama and a cow rest outdoors. Along the bottom are three bright flowers. Known as a retablo, this traditional diorama is housed in a colorful chest crafted of wood and painted. The Peruvian artisan carefully models each figure from ceramic plaster and paints them by hand to surround a heart-shaped looking glass.