The artisans
The diverse pre-Hispanic cultures that have existed in Peru for thousands of years have left a deep mark on our identity as a country. The Peruvian artisans’ skills in ceramics, textiles, wood, metals, have been passed down for generations and are the result of this cultural mark. These skills remain until today and are mixed with contemporary trends and designs to make beautiful objects by hand.
In Allpa we admire these objects every day and we work together with our producers on new ideas that can successfully reach the market creating more jobs for many families.
Julian - Weaver
A rug crafter, Julian spent many years of his life weaving small, light objects; for this reason, he is proud to say that he has learned to make heavy llama wool rugs for the American designer Jonathan Adler.
Celestino - Weaver
Celestino, a modern weaver in the Andes was born in Huancavelica and spent time in different activities and villages. In 2001, he started weaving for Allpa in his backyard with a very rustic loom.
Danilo - Stone crafter
Master in stones carving, Danilo extracts the hidden beauty of the stones. He can turn some amorphous and opaque rock into a bright and precious jewel.
Alex - Ceramist
Alex, an entrepreneur in Chulucanas. Doing business in Peru is a complex road and requires a lot of courage. Alex became a potter to help his uncle Jose many years and from him he learned all the secrets of making pots.
Marco - Wood crafter
Marco, manufacturer of mirrors, learned to work with wood 25 years ago. He did it first for the local market, but his hard work earned him a good reputation among his customers.
Fermin - Jeweler
Descendant of several generations of silversmiths, his father was a jeweler and taught him the skill. Fermin has been making handmade silver jewelry for 28 years, and Allpa is his main customer.
Antonio & Luz - Jeweler
Born in Huancayo, they both are pioneers in local jewelry production, especially in the Rimac neighborhood, where we find a long jewelry making tradition in Lima.
Edmundo - Wood crafter
Edmundo comes from Apurimac, a small town in the Peruvian Highlands. He inherits this art from his mother and since he was a teenager he was attracted to drawing and painting, which has allowed him to show his Andahuaylino style art in his wood and reverse painted glass crafts.
Raquel - Jeweler
In 2007 Raquel’s father decided to retire and she assumed responsibility for her workshop. She has participated in several courses and trainings to improve her processes and products. Raquel is a specialist in combining the traditional jewelry hand making with the modern “casting” technique.
Rogelio - Weaver
Simon - Weaver
Social impact
Crafts production is a way of creating jobs with relatively low investment. This encourages us to keep looking after market opportunities with new products every day. Not an easy job in this global and increasingly demanding world of today.
But the challenge is there and we feel we do our job when orders come in a permanent way and assure better incomes for all parts involved. We get inspiration from the traditional techniques and we use them to create contemporary textiles, pots, decorative objects and garments. Women and men depend on this production to make their living for them and their families.
