The fair, which will remain open until Sunday, March 16, is an opportunity to discover and acquire unique pieces.
The 14th edition of the Gran Canaria Primavera Sur Craft Fair continues to attract visitors and curious visitors who browse its stalls in search of unique pieces and the charm of handmade items crafted by 72 local artisans. Located next to the Maspalomas Lighthouse, this fair has not only become a meeting point for professionals and the public, but also a space for cultural exchange where tradition and innovation coexist at every stand.
Professionals from 15 municipalities showcase their talents in 24 artisanal trades. Among the participants is Pedro Marín, creator of the Árbore brand, who has discovered recycled paper as a sustainable material with which he gives waste a second life by transforming it into artistic jewelry. He already had experience in this craft, specifically in silversmithing, but in recycled paper and cardboard, he discovered "a much more sustainable and rewarding resource for design, and it won me over," he explains.
Marín has been attending the fair for years and emphasizes its importance as a showcase for his work, which, displayed "in such a way so close to the public, is understood through different eyes." That's why he values holding events like this one, which "brings together tourists with a certain purchasing power and the local public, who always supports us," he comments.
Elisabet Espinosa, from Macranarias, has the same impression. She has been self-taught and perfecting her macramé technique for a decade. "I'm passionate about what I do," says this artisan, who is attending this Gran Canaria Primavera Sur Craft Fair for the first time, although she already participated in the FEDAC event held in the capital's San Telmo Park at Christmas. Both editions have seemed like "an opportunity to sell" her crafts, although she was pleasantly surprised by the turnout and diversity of visitors and believes that "people spend more here than at other fairs."
For candle maker Susana Ramírez, with almost 30 years in the trade, "tourists are more familiar with candles and buy them as a consumer item, while local customers seek them out more as decoration or as a fragrance." After years of experimenting with paraffin, "which is the most versatile for the craft," in recent years she has specialized in Canarian wax houses, recreating the island's traditional architecture in miniature, and has experimented with beeswax. After years of selling at local markets, she now feels that the local public is beginning to "become more aware and value candlemaking more as an art form."
In the field of ceramics, one of the undisputed protagonists of craft fairs, Bárbara Zaplana is characterized by her constant experimentation. "I'm always modifying designs, introducing new shapes, colors, and glazes, so that the public sees something different every time they come to the fair," she explains. With small, exclusive collections, her participation in the fair allows her to market her products and interact with visitors, but also to showcase her creative process, as she takes advantage of her presence in one of the three tents provided by the organizers to carefully work on her creations, visible to anyone who passes by.
Learning the trades
The fair isn't just a showcase of finished products, but also a space where crafts come alive. In addition to many artisans like Barbara, who take advantage of the opportunity to get ahead while demonstrating their work live, daily exhibits draw visitors to the Live Crafts stand. Cane and palm basketry, cutlery, wool spinning and weaving, cages, traditional pottery, openwork... there are many crafts that the Crafts Fair brings to its visitors every day.
Among them is Ángel Rosario, a stonemason with more than 35 years of experience who, during the fair, carved a lion sculpture in Tindaya stone, "sister of the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium," which he acquired 25 years ago while doing stonework for the cultural space. "It's a personal challenge, because the lions I see in fountains and sculptures remind me of Playmobil ones—very basic, very simple—and I had the dream of making a lion, but one that looks real," he says humorously. To do this, he uses a sketch of "a lion's head in white marble" created by Artificial Intelligence, which he confesses to using to find designs for inspiration.
Although he didn't attend the event with the intention of selling, Rosario appreciates the opportunity FEDAC gives him to share his craft with the public. "The only thing I regret is that I don't speak any languages and can't communicate well with tourists," confesses this stone sculptor.
As part of the entertainment program, La Musicleta will perform this Friday, March 14, at 17:00 p.m., and Ana Falcón will conclude this edition at the same time on Saturday, March 15.
In a relaxed and lively atmosphere, thanks to daily live craft exhibitions and musical performances scheduled for each day, the 14th edition of the fair will continue until Sunday, March 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 19:00 p.m. A unique opportunity to discover, appreciate, and acquire pieces that bear the hallmark of Gran Canaria's tradition and creativity.
The 14th edition of the Primavera Sur Craft Fair is promoted and funded by the Gran Canaria Island Council (Cabildo) through the Fund for the Ethnography and Development of Canarian Crafts (FEDAC), an agency attached to the Ministry of Economic Development, Industry, Commerce, and Crafts. It is organized by Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria, in collaboration with the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council.
More information about the artisans participating in this edition of the Gran Canaria Primavera Sur Craft Fair, the performances and craft exhibitions, can be found on the website: feriasartesaniagrancanaria.es.
