“Being an artisan as a Mapuche fulfills me, because in my art I can have illnesses, anything and I arrive with my wool, I sit at my loom and as if all that goes away, so it is like therapy. That's healthy. For me, craftsmanship is everything… On Sunday I rest a little because my daughters come to see me. But it dawns the next day and I have to be there. Because the wool calls me. “I really love wool.”
Aurora Huenchuñir lives in a rural area near Padre de las Casas, south of Temuco. He has been working on the traditional Mapuche or witral loom for 45 years now.
This extract is part of the book that we published thanks to Fondart, with great research by Christine Gleisner and wonderful photos by Edgar Dassi Junior , as a recognition of the valuable work of the artisans who live in our southern lands and we hope that they are an encouragement for them and many others who contribute with their effort and dedication to preserving our cultural heritage.
And furthermore, in this special collection from our website You can buy all the wonders that these artisans create with their skillful hands and dedicated science.