elegant energy

This elegant sculpture conveys the energy of the Marinera dance, a popular performance along the coast. It recreates the sea of emotions surrounding flirtation, attraction and falling in love. Capturing the precise, fluid movements and mystical rhythms, John Barrow depicts dancers from northern Peru as they execute what is considered the national folkloric dance form.

Conopas are sacred Inca sculptures intended to increase fertility, abundance and good fortune. Depicting a camelid, this ancient image is also related to protection against negative energies, inspiring many artists through time. Peruvian artisan William Meneses also draws inspiration from this mystic item to hand-carve a reproduction of the traditional conopa sculpture in a dark brown tone for an elegant accent.

Sandeep Malhotra works with talented Indian artisans to create this mystic wall hanging made for those who dream of a life in harmony. Handwoven cotton yarns in a graceful brown hue create a stunning macrame design that dangles with elegance from a mango wood hexagon structure, known for symbolizing balance and the union between female and male energies.

The vitality and mystic energy of the Costa Rican forests inspire a majestic design that captures the essence of the tropical jungle. Artisan Kattia López uses a calabash gourd to create the leaf pendant that ornaments this unique necklace, painting it in an elegant black hue that symbolizes power. As a way to enrich the design's natural aura, Kattia adds pinewood beads to the brown cord and finishes the accessory with a comfortable sliding knot that can be adjusted to your liking.

The vitality and adventurous energy of the Costa Rican forests inspire a splendid design that captures the essence of the tropical jungle. Artisan Kattia López uses a calabash gourd to create the leaf pendant that embellishes this unique necklace, painting it in an elegant terracotta hue that symbolizes enthusiasm. As a way to enrich the design's natural aura, Kattia adds pinewood beads to the brown cord and finishes the accessory with a handy sliding knot that can be adjusted to your liking.

This elegant wall accent mirror is the creation of Peru's Marco Luzalde. Styled after a sun, the wood frame is finished with applications of bronze, aluminum and copper leaf for a lustrous look.

A myriad shades of blue conjure a cool and soothing universe in this elegant nierika, or votive beadwork painting by Kupihaute. Scorpions scuttle purposefully around the center of the composition, which takes the shape of a flower with five wide petals.

The artist, who writes fluently in the Huichol, Nahuatl and English languages, talks about this work in his own words. "From the focal center of the nierika, the precious flower arises in spiral movement as the culminating expression of the deepest roots. The blossom is keeping in its entrails the seed that will disseminate the power of creative energy. This is symbolized by the scorpions that, in their wonderful body symmetry, show the essence of the power itself, since any imbalance in its mating dance, any missing the target, will cause its own poisoning and thus its own death. Therefore the symbol of cosmos, of order is shown in their mouths and the tails."

The intricate images are formed with tiny seed beads. Kupihuate patiently places them one at a time with a needle made of abalone shell onto a huanacaxtle wood backing. Beeswax is used instead of glue.

The process is totally spontaneous, with no previous sketch or design. It is guided by the artist's unconscious to tell the stories that remain in our collective ancestral memory. He signs his work with the symbol of a butterfly on the reverse side of the nierika.