Spotlight: Familia Contreras
"Zapotec Art"
Samuel Contreras is the master craftsman in charge of giving life to many homes around the world with unique, innovative, and impressive designs of the highest quality. His family business began more than forty years ago, thanks to his mother Juana Vicencio, and his father Florencio Contreras.
Over time, Samuel and his family have created a workshop with more than 50 looms to streamline the manufacturing process, thus employing more than 30 people from his community. In addition, they have tried to make the whole process as natural as possible, which is why some colors such as red are obtained from the grana cochineal, orange from the flower of the dead or cempasuchil, blue from indigo, and coffee obtained through the shells of the nuts, avoiding the use of artificial colors. The elaboration time can vary from 2 to 5 weeks depending on the design and size of each textile since the entire process is handmade and the raw materials such as sheep wool and cotton are brought from communities surrounding Teotitlán del Valle.
At Nima, each item in our store is hand-crafted, full of soul, effort, and culture. By personally traveling and meeting these wonderful individuals, we're able to offer you amazing, hand-crafted products at a fair price. With love from Mexico.
