Nestor Portillo
Bio
The master craftsman Néstor Portillo, using carving techniques in Timbo (balsa wood), carries out his Ancestral Knowledge Workshop School.
For more than 26 years he has been dedicated to the artisanal manufacture of traditional masks used in popular celebrations such as Camba Ra'anga.
He resides in Tobati, in the Rosado company, from where his school becomes a meeting space to outline the collective dreams that allow the stories, techniques and works inherited by other popular artists to be protected.
Statement
With my work, I promote one of the most important traditions of my community the celebration of the Kamba ra’anga Festival.
In the studio, we encourage the teaching of mask carving, narrating the history rooted in popular and indigenous festivities. These masks serve ceremonial and spiritual purposes. The crafting of these masks endures, not only for use in these celebrations but also for commercial purposes as decorative items that attain the status of art pieces due to the symbolic value they carry.
Additional information
El tallado de las mascaras proviene de los festejos populares e indígenas, y son utilizados con fines ceremoniales y espirituales..
