In talking with folk artist Angel L. Callañaupa Alvares, this video gives insight about the expansive significance of Pachamama. His deep appreciation for Pachamama is ever present in his work

Artist Aymar Ccopacatty knits, weaves, braids, and collages with recycled plastic bags that he collects mostly from his homeland of Peru.

Amazonian painter Brus Rubio creates abstract scenes of Huitoto-Bora myths, local stories, and songs in addition to singing and playing the manguaré, a pair of drums made from tree trunks.

Much time and research went into its design, so the “icon” could thoughtfully and equally represent the twelve artisan groups we brought from Peru to the National Mall.

Silkscreen artist Pedro “MONKY” Rojas uses the same bold colors worn by mountain Quechua people to create advertisements for chicha musicians.

Chicha silkscreen artist Pedro “MONKY” Tolomeo and Festival presenter Alfredo Villar (a.k.a. DJ Sabroso) arrived a few days early last week, just in time for the SMITHSONIAN at 8 kickoff event, “Chicha! A Peruvian Dance Party.”

Since 2009, art director Josué Castilleja has designed eighteen logos for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. For the Perú: Pachamama program, he and his design staff have developed over 250 designs

Influenced by the biodiversity of southern Peru and the Amazon, the paintings of Brus Rubio and Ángel Callañaupa depict a profound link between art and the natural world.

Our travels helped us better understand Peruvian folklife, and by the end I was absolutely sure of at least one thing: Peru must be the world’s No. 1 consumer of paint.

I started taking calligraphy classes in 1997 at a local museum in Nanjing dedicated to a renowned modern calligrapher Lin Sanzhi (1898–1989).