Spinning wheels, looms, lathes and jewelry tools that fuse traditional techniques with modern innovations, surprise local visitors and tourists
This weekend, Maspalomas continues to be the epicentre of culture and tradition with the 40th Regional Crafts Fair of the Canary Islands. Until Sunday 8 December, in the vicinity of the Maspalomas Lighthouse, the fair welcomes 128 artisans from the eight islands of the archipelago, who take advantage of this setting to present the fruit of their laborious work. From ceramics to jewellery, through 55 different trades, this fair is a unique opportunity to rediscover Canarian roots in an environment full of life.
With free admission, this event is not only an opportunity to find unique pieces, but also to experience the artisanal creation processes up close. Visitors - locals and tourists - will be amazed by the work done on spinning wheels, looms, lathes and jewelry tools that fuse traditional techniques with modern innovations, designed to connect with the younger public.
Thus, the event, which this year celebrates forty years of being a benchmark in the visibility and support of artisan work, combines the beauty of traditional crafts with more modern work and techniques.
Juan Manuel Martínez, for example, is a leather goods professional from Gran Canaria who has been participating in the regional fair since he got his artisan's license. “I have been an artisan all my life, but I have had the license since the Fedac was created,” he explains. For him, these types of events “are our best place to sell,” because they are exclusively dedicated to traditional crafts “and people identify you as an artisan.”
Alejandro Tornos, a jeweller from Gran Canaria, who has been participating in the Regional Crafts Fair for over 10 years, has a similar opinion: “When we are dedicated to crafts, we attend important fairs of this type, because it is the way we have to reap the harvest.” In fact, many professionals do not have shops or points of sale, so they sell directly to the public at these types of events organised, “if possible, by official bodies that respect the fact that only crafts can be sold and that protect Canarian crafts.”
But for these professionals, this exhibition not only means sales, but also visibility. This is the case of Manuel Rodríguez, from La Palma, who is dedicated to bookbinding, paper and cardboard, through his brand El Batán Papeles Artesanos. His forte is the production of handmade paper that he then uses to create hand-stitched notebooks, among other products.
This is the second time she has participated in the fair and she values not only the support of the institutions, in terms of the support they provide to be able to travel and participate every two years on a different island. She also highlights the contact she can make with potential buyers and with other professionals with whom she shares experiences. "At these large fairs you learn a lot from other artisans, about how they work, how they organize the stand, how they sell..." she added.
And the fact is that craftsmanship, although traditional in nature, has also evolved over the years to adapt to new times and tastes, without losing the Canarian identity and the essence of the products being worked on.
Carmen Díaz, for example, has come to the fair from Tenerife to show her interpretation of traditional openwork, which she has been turning into contemporary openwork for ten years. "I am trying by all means to ensure that traditional openwork is not lost," says the artisan, while explaining that she has incorporated "a small innovation" into this craft: "I have taken the flowers on the tablecloths out of context and I scale them, individually, in different formats, such as silver to turn it into jewellery or photography."
