MEET THE WINNERS OF FOFA-MEAPO’S 6TH YOUNG ARTISTS’ COMPETITION
FOFA sponsored its sixth young folk artist competition in August in Oaxaca, with the theme “Finding Hope Through Art.” A total of 115 artists participated, providing our four judges with the extremely difficult task of selecting a first, second and third place winner in each of our six categories of art. In several cases there were point level ties, so multiple prizes were awarded. Below we proudly introduce the 22 winners, with the artists’ comments about the relationship of their pieces to the contest theme, and observations by FOFA volunteers about their work. Watch for our new catalog (late January 2022) featuring these artists and the 43 others who won Honorable Mention. (Photo credit: Otto Piron)
CERAMICS
First Place (two artists tied)

Alfonso Martínez Méndez
(Age 28, San Bartolo Coyotepec)
Title of piece: “Holding Up My Hope”
Alfonso sculpted hands supporting a pitcher to express that possibilities arise from even the most serious world problems. A girl points to a dead figure, with hope in the new life that emerges from it. A small jar contains the dreams of girl, while another girl waits with her cat for crops to grow, expecting physical and spiritual nourishment. Not a native of the black clay region of Oaxaca, Alfonso grew up a painter in the Sierra Norte, traveling alone at 15 to the Central Valley in search of a new medium of expression. He found employment where he passionately "connected" with clay. One year ago he started working independently.
Ivett Guadalupe Simon Pacheco
(Age 23, San Bartolo Coyotepec)
Title of piece: “Dividing Chaos into Day and Night”
Yvett explains that when disturbing nighttime thoughts feel overwhelming and chaotic, she finds reassurance in the prospect of a new day. “The sun can help you heal.” As she reflected on how to interpret the contest theme, the appearance of beetles catalyzed her thinking about a parallel between the cycle of day (represented by gold leaf) and night, and the beetle’s cycle of reproduction: pushing a dung heap for food and burying it in the earth for breeding. Ivett’s parents are ceramicists, as were her grandparents. Her university study of arts management and development has further enhanced her appreciation of the importance of folk art.
Second Place (two artists tied)

Luis Alfredo Córdova Martínez
(Age 20, Ocotlán de Morelos)
Title of piece: “Poets of the Earth”
Luis pays homage to José García and his family, well-known clay artists of San Antonino. The third generation in a family of bakers, Luis started modelling mud into small figures at age eight. When he was 12, an ice-cream vendor told him about Sara García´s community clay workshop, where his love of ceramics took root. He takes inspiration and hope from Maestro José who, despite his blindness, continues to work with his wife and three children making fabulous ceramic figures. Luis helps with his family’s breadmaking while pursuing ceramics, and is about to enter Oaxaca’s Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez, focusing on art.
Francisco Pinelo Castellanos
(Age 33, Reyes Etla)
Title of piece: “Hope in the Time of COVID-19”
After studying veterinary medicine, Francisco became interested in fine arts and studied graphic design at the Rufino Tamayo Plastic Arts Workshop and the Oaxaca School of Fine Arts. Even though he has competed and been awarded prizes in that discipline, he decided to follow in the footsteps of the clay artists his family, attracted by the possibility of turning indigenous traditions and legends into art. In his piece the recumbent deer represents childhood, while the upright deer represents hope: a mother calling for the healing of the world and a return to normal life after COVID.
Third Place

Margarita Noemí Garcia López
(Age 21, Ocotlán de Morelos)
Title of piece: “An Image of Hope”
Margarita Noemí, granddaughter of renowned ceramic artist Josefina Aguilar, captures the joy of two old people showing their love by enjoying a “taco de chapulines” (grasshopper taco) as they hope to sell their ceramics at a market. She is fascinated and inspired by details of daily life and nature that she incorporates in her work. Margarita Noemí overcomes personal difficulties by keen observation, always seeing elements of hope in everyday life. Coming from a ceramic dynasty -- she is the fifth generation -- she says that she wants to carry on the traditions of her family.
TAPETES (Rugs, Wall Hangings)
First Place

Juan Eleutario Lazo Gutiérrez
(Age 23, Teotitlán del Valle)
Title of piece: “Light from the Sky”
Juan’s tapete symbolizes his belief that we are in a constant state of creating ourselves. We freshly weave ourselves from our family and cultural influences, represented by the traditional indigo Zapotec design. A self-portrait, above Juan’s shoulder is a brown ceramic jar, representing his grandmother. The wool skeins obscure part of the tapestry, "just as part of the weaver is hidden from the observer who cannot know the family and cultural influences which guide the weaver’s decisions." Overarching this, Juan explains, "the sun represents the different days a person lives; each color represents a day, and each generation has different suns and different colors."
Second Place

Christián Mendoza Ruiz
(Age 23, Teotitlán del Valle)
Title of piece: “I Am Learning What I Will Teach Tomorrow”
Surrounded by weavers all his life, Christián sought to develop his own style during the pandemic, creating powerful messages that culminated in his feeling he had become a unique artist. The competition´s theme made him realize he had fulfilled the greatest hope of his grandfather - who was a farmer, not a weaver - which was for Christián to become an artist and unselfishly teach others. Full of symbols, the rug represents the teaching of "new generations: the future of everything" and interweaves his village's identity, his ancestors, the pandemic (mask), intergenerational cycles (spirals), art as it flourishes (seeds), and life decisions (trees).
Third Place

Jacobo Mendoza Vásquez
(Age 24, Teotitlán del Valle)
Title of piece: “Diamond’s Mystical Light”
A diamond at the heart of Jacobo’s piece symbolizes the four elements: earth, air, fire, water. A design element called lengua de fuego symmetrically illuminates the diamond with mystical light, representing hope through art. Jacobo weaves on a two-pedal loom, using natural dyes and various wool, silk and alpaca fibers. For him, weaving is a mystical, and thus hopeful, process. At the bottom of his tapete are mountains, topped by local ruins, and then glyphs, including fish that signify the hopeful genesis of life. Jacobo began weaving at six, influenced by his mother’s strict but helpful instruction and his father’s advice, “Develop your own techniques.”
OTHER TEXTILES
First Place

Balbina Mendoza Navarro
(Age 28, Santo Tomás Jalieza)
Title of piece: “Weaving Life Into a Fabric of Hope”
“Weaving Life,” a piece encompassing 62 distinct designs, is a traditional sash of cotton threads and raw silk, woven on a backstrap loom and finished with braiding and pompoms. Through it, Balbina teaches the customs and traditions of her ancestors, keeping alive the dream of preserving these for future generations. The braiding at both ends represents the union of the nuclear family, while the pompoms represent individual members of the extended family. These many elements embody the strength and love that exists among family members – men and women equally – and their hope of moving forward together.
Second Place

Wilmer Levi Sosa Méndez
(Age 22, Mitla)
Title of piece: “The Origin of Corn”
Wilmer was inspired by ancient practices of weaving, and growing corn “that nature paints with incredible and incomparable colors.” During the conquest Zapotecs were not allowed to weave religious garments so they wove in secret. He is grateful that his ancestors sustained their hope and passed it on to him in the form of weaving; he feels responsible for guarding and continuing this work. Wilmer learned backstrap weaving from his father’s uncles and is now teaching his younger brother to weave. His wish is that his art will help people understand the intelligence and hard work of their own ancestors.
Third Place

Liliana Paola Pinzón Palafox
(Age 24, San Mateo del Mar)
Title of piece: “The Land Where I Was Born”
Liliana worries that young people will leave San Mateo del Mar and forget their roots-- not only their native language, but also the importance of fishing and farming, the town´s emblematic activities. Using materials from the past, such as hand-spun thread and ¨coyuche¨ (a brown cotton fiber), she created this beautiful huipil in which she illustrates maritime activities on one side of the front and corn planting on the other. She has hope that through her art, using the fine weaving she learned as a girl from her grandmother and her mother (also an innovative weaver), she can remind young people of their heritage.
WOODCARVING
First Place

Emmanuel Fuentes Gómez
(Age 19, San Martín Tilcajete)
Title of piece: “Strolling With My Family”
Emmanuel carved and painted this piece from a single piece of wood to portray how families get around Oaxaca. “It’s a parent taking the children somewhere, piled onto a motorcycle. Our families have lots of children!” To Emmanuel, even the act of getting around town is “a time for enjoying the family.” His positive life outlook is evident in his work and conversation. The child of master artist parents, he believes that “when you understand that each day is unlike any other, you learn to enjoy the present by letting go of the past and having hope for the future."
Second Place

José Alberto Fuentes Santiago
(Age 24, San Martín Tilcajete)
Title of piece: “Nahuales”
Alberto is the third generation of a woodcarving family. When he saw a deformed tree trunk he imagined nahuales, the supernatural companion creatures assigned to each baby in Zapotec mythology. These beings are believed to have achieved sufficient knowledge and evolution to transform into animals. As he explained it, "Being a nahual is a state.” Alberto’s father taught him everything about nahuales, how they always walk together and recognize one another. In his carving from a single piece of wood, he portrays their union of animal bodies and human faces. For Alberto, the mystical nahuales represent the hope that the world will be a better place.
Third Place

David Jarquín García
(Age 31, Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz)
Title of piece: “The Old Man of the Village”
In his magnificent carved serpent David uses animals to express the inspiration of his ancestors, people rooted in traditions. The jaguar reflects the strength of his people, the bat represents chaotic times (the pandemic), and the eagle’s claw refers to force. The serpent itself symbolizes the constant motion of the world and of water. When held upright, the flow of tiny stones inside the serpent sounds like flowing water. David is the son of a carpenter, so wood has always been part of his life. However, he is the only one in his family who has become a wood carving artist.
DECORATIVE PAINTING OF WOODCARVING
First Place

Marco Antonio López Guzmán
(Age 25, Trinidad de Viguera)
Title of piece: “Singing to the Sun”
“My first and only option was to study art and folk art,” which Marco Antonio considers an extension of ourselves, human expression that also serves as a historical record. His piece was inspired by “La Cigarra,” a song by Mercedes Sosa that speaks of the cicada emerging after many years underground, as if reborn, to sing to the sun, much as we have escaped from our COVID confinement to start our lives anew. He chose the armadillo because of its ubiquity in Oaxaca, and the snail and the flower, pre-Hispanic symbol that together signify song and prayer. They are all painted in typical Oaxacan earth tones.
Second Place

Miguel Méndez Mota
(Age 31, San Martín Tilcajete)
Title of piece: “Strength”
Miguel works to create woodcarvings together with his wife Lucerito, who decoratively paints them and who won an Honorable Mention in this contest. His piece is a fierce fight between a jaguar and a gazelle. He feels like the is jaguar fighting and looking to support his family, and the gazelle is the preying impact of the pandemic. Miguel says that you must attack problems with all you have. The colors of the jaguar are brown, symbolizing the earth, and those of the gazelle are blue, representing water. Miguel works hard to be recognized and to have more opportunities carrying out this artform that he loves so much.
Third Place

Angélico Jiménez Carrillo
(Age 34, San Antonio Arrazola)
Title of piece: “Zapotec Ancestral Fusion”
This work is a fusion of four spiritual animals of the Zapotec culture. The owl represents wisdom, the deer nobility and humility, the eagle visual power, and the serpent maximum power. The painting includes Zapotec codices. The sun means a new beginning, the seed fertility and the generations to come, the labyrinth conveys a search for fulfillment, and the "i" is community. Together they represent the balance of life that results in community and peace for all. Angélico carved and painted the figure. He wants to share the Zapotec culture and focus on brotherhood with all of humanity.
OTHER MODALITIES
First Place (two artists tied)

José de Jesús García Hernández
(Age 35, Oaxaca de Juárez)
Title of piece: “Traditional Circles”
José chose to use concentric circles in his silver filigree necklace and matching earrings. As he explains, in Oaxacan tradition this design represents the cycle of life. José finds hope in the cycle of life that encompasses where we are now and our future growth and new endeavors. He is the grandson of Oaxaca’s silver filigree master artist, Juan Manuel García Esperanza. He began working with silver filigree as a child and has begun to teach his own 10-year-old son. Like his father and other family members, José is deeply committed to keeping the traditional art of Oaxacan silver filigree strong.
Oliver Andrés Ramírez Montaño
(Age 29, Oaxaca de Juárez)
Title of piece: “Snake Choker”
Oliver Andrés Ramírez Montaño finds hope in learning. Although no one in his family does filigree silver work, he saw pictures of it and decided he wanted to study with a master artist. Three years ago, he began traveling daily to Oaxaca from his home in Etla to learn this beautiful, traditional art. He became interested in images of serpents, and recently created his elegant serpent necklace. Oliver plans eventually to establish a workshop in Etla to teach young people the art of silver filigree, in this way fulfilling his dream of keeping this important Oaxacan art form vibrant.
Second Place (two artists tied)

Laura Raymundo Sánchez
(Age 19, San Antonino Castillo Velasco)
Title of piece: “Weaving a Millenial Life Story”
Laura’s piece presents a woman from Jamiltepec, Oaxaca weaving on a backstrap loom, an ancient art practiced by women since pre-Hispanic times. Her work is a symbolic expression of the interconnections of art, nature, and humanity, as the tree provides support to a loom on which the weaver creates her textiles. Through this craft women have been able to experiment with new techniques which, to Laura, represents hope for new horizons. Working with the weft, the warp and the batten, women have been the ones to pass on this ancestral knowledge and, in this way they are themselves entwining threads of their social fabric.
Álvaro Sánchez Ramos
(Age 20, Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz)
Title of piece: “Art is Hope in Adversity”
In his piece made of recycled wood in the form of a tree branch, Alvaro incorporates three elements. One is the figure of a woman – an inspiration from a 19th century sculpture – who represents the feeling of hope to overcome hardship. The second is flowers, which represent all those who have fallen in their struggles and given their lives in hopes of making a change in society. The third is a butterfly, an homage to the Mexican environmentalist Homero Gómez, who was murdered due to his efforts to protect the Monarch Butterfly from extinction, while serving as an example that hope exists despite adversity.
Third Place

Faviola Contreras Sosa
(Age 33, Teotitlán del Valle)
Title of piece: “Flowers and Thorns”
The daughter of renowned weavers, Faviola has always had an interest in trying different forms of manual arts. In this piece she demonstrates her mastery of the “tatting” technique she chose to learn when she won first place in textiles in FOFA-MEAPO´s 2013 contest. Her prize then was a personalized course at Oaxaca‘s Textile Museum, sponsored by FOFA. It was a challenge for Faviola to make this detailed and intricate set, consisting of a necklace, earrings and bracelet. She hopes wearing something like this will help some woman feel more beautiful and optimistic, with its combination of black (like night) with flashes of red (for hope). 
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