Everyone who donated to KUNM before March 22nd was entered in our Early Bird Drawing to win one of three gorgeous prizes donated by the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. That drawing is now closed.
Metal Bowl
Josnel Bruno
Haiti
$300
Josnel was an apprentice to master Serge Jolimeau and is now a metalworker in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, who transforms discarded oil drums into remarkable artwork with his skill and creativity. He describes himself as a “difficult child” who only found purpose once he was taught metalworking.
His hammered, chiseled, punched, and incised bowls and platters represent yet another innovation within the tradition that now defines Josnel’s community to the world. Each piece is a way for him to pay tribute to his rich culture and religious beliefs. He is proud to be teaching the art to young apprentices, continuing the tradition. Donate now to be entered in the drawing.
Table Runner
Leki Textiles & Weaving Studio
Bhutan
$300 value
According to legend, Bhutanese weaving originally started out as an improvised interpretation of Tibetan weaving. In many instances, motifs are connected to the natural world, as well as to spiritual practices and belief systems.
Maintaining the highest artistic standards, while at the same time expanding upon centuries of tradition, master textile artist Leki Wangmo, along with her all-female team of artisans, creates gorgeously hewn woven fabrics both as wearable items and for home décor.
Wangmo and her team make their textiles completely by hand, along every step of the way. Tools remain largely unchanged throughout millennia, incorporating mostly wood, bamboo, and animal hide elements. Both men and women wear traditionally woven garments in Bhutan as everyday clothing, with more intricately designed items reserved for special festivals and events.
Leki Wangmo was born into a large family with longstanding, ancestral ties to weaving and embroidery folk art practices. In Bhutan, weaving is a historically matrilineal activity, and Wangmo learned her craft originally from her grandmother and from her mother. Respect for the artistic process and reverence its deep cultural significance is evidenced in each and every resoundingly beautiful, hand-crafted item produced by Wangmo and her team. You can be entered in to the drawing when you donate to KUNM.
Ceramic Platter
Nicholas Fabian
Mexico
$250
Nicolás learned to work clay from his parents at an early age, eventually experimenting with his own designs. He wanted to move away from using the unhealthy lead glazes that were traditional in the village and he started to use his own unique technique.
He begins by burnishing the slipped surface, sketching nature-inspired designs onto that, and then scraping away the interior areas to leave a matte pattern.
The pieces are fired at very high temperatures and later covered with a light coat of wax, making them durable enough for everyday use. He works together with his wife on many of the pieces, and their daughters are now learning to create alongside them. Donate to KUNM now and be entered into the drawing.