A Young Vendor with Callas - Una Joven Vendedora con Calas

“I came across a Sunday market first during a trip to Bolivia and Peru, and later in Mexico. I was captivated by the colours, the handmade embroidery, unique textiles, folk art and artisanal goods. I spent countless hours observing Latina women, their collaborations and connections with other women, while they sat patiently for hours in crowded booths. I was drawn to their traditional dresses and aprons, as well as their braided hairstyles. I developed this series of oil paintings called Sunday Markets, which portrays the friendships and interactions among Latin American women who prosper by selling their wares.” Jazmin Sasky

The Mexican town of Tenango de Doria is the birthplace of the now ubiquitous Otomi embroidery, which is known as tenangos. This region produces a sophisticated interpretation of historic cave paintings, with geometric forms of animals, plants and people mingling in a cornucopia of colour and mysticism. The handmade works from this area offer a juxtaposition of negative and positive space that’s simultaneously contemporary and traditional. Skilled artisans draw these images by hand, free form, with the embroidery process taking anywhere from weeks to years to complete a single piece. While the women in this region always embroidered, in order to create pieces for themselves, as well as to earn a living, it wasn’t until the 1960s when an economic crisis and famine forced the local people to turn to traditional crafts, in order to sustain themselves. Fast forward to modern times, and we now see one of the most widely recognized forms of Mexican creative expression.

Collaboration with Tonani Lirio de los Valles, Hidalgo State, Mexico

This family-run business is comprised of three generations of artisans who specialize in elevating the traditional embroidery work from this region to a pristine example of the successful marriage of contemporary design and the intricacies of traditional needlework.

Family matriarch Florencia Hernandez Rios taught her daughters the craft. Her daughter Rosa Gonzalez Hernandez expanded the possibilities to producing their own textile bases, given her studies in fashion design and production. Relocation from their small town to nearby Tulancingo – the second largest city in Hidalgo – also offers this family the continued advantage to further their studies, expand the business, all the while offering positive community support. At present, this workshop employs roughly 100 people, which includes both family members, as well as trusted people from the area.

In order to ship these original works to their final destination safely, I partner with a speciality company called Flash Pack who package every painting with the upmost care and respect. This group of dedicated professionals require approximately 14 business days to effectively prepare shipments of art to be sent from Vancouver, British Columbia to clients throughout the world. For more details, please refer to our Useful Info page that’s listed on the website.

Due to the high cost of shipping, both nationally and internationally, returns or refunds on the payment for a painting are unfortunately not possible. If you’d like to see additional documentation of these custom works before purchasing, have questions about the shipping process, or other concerns that you’d like addressed, feel free to send these requests directly through the site, in order to ensure for a confident purchase decision process.

This painting includes a "Certificate of Authenticity" stating that the artwork is an original painting by artist Jazmin Sasky.