Meet the Artisan
Pedro Mendoza Gutierrez
The master Pedro Mendoza Gutierrez was born in May 4th of 1975 in a small tradition filled community called Teotitlan Del Valle, in Oaxaca Mexico.
Pedro Mendoza inherited form his family the fabric tradition, due to this he considers that cloths are away of transferring knowledge and customs from generation to generation. The process to elaborate a piece of fabric takes time, situation that enables the meticulous and intimal encounter between materials and techniques, from where is comes a spiritual language.
The inspiration to work comes from the rich, singular and millenarian historic fountain of fabric knowledge that the community possesses.
Master Mendoza Gutierrez has been awarded many times in the last 10 years, among those prizes is the 2nd place in the National Popular Art Award 2007, organized by FONART Mexico, in 2008 the Statal Award Benito Juarez, due to his contribution to the tecnica plumaria (Feather work), given by the institute of artesanias (Mexican Folk Art) in Oaxaca (IOA).
In 2009 he got the National Popular Art Award, the maximum prize of the contest, that was given personally to him by the President of Mexico, in 2010 the government of Oaxaca recognize him as an outstanding artisan.
Cultural Development Banamex, in 2011, distinguish him as one of the great Masters of Oaxaca`s Popular Art, due to this some of his creations are now part of the collection of Cultural Development Banamex, as well as part of private collections.
Also, the Master Pedro Mendoza has participated in different displays: Museum of Monte Alban of Oaxaca, Cloth Museum of Oaxaca, Museum of Art Peter Gray in Puerto Vallarta, Art Incubator in McAllen, Texas, United States; Rancho las Golondrinas Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in The United States.
Concerned by the preservation of this particular trade that gives identity to his community, the Master Pedro Mendoza Gutierrez founded a weave and dye workshop that has his name, destined to preserve and promote the traditional cloth activity.
Currently, he directs his workshop where he imparts lessons to those desiring to learn the trade.
