Meet Julian, Retablo Artisan

In a small shack on the roof of his house, Julian carefully molds, glues and paints the individual pieces of his Retablos as cats and roosters stomp around the dusty floor. As a twelve year old, Julian used to study his neighbor while he crafted Retablos and from his observation, Julian learned the skill himself. Now thirty-eight years old Julian has had nearly his whole life to practice and perfect his art.

Julian’s five other brothers are also hard at work in their own corners of the same roof: some carving wood, some polishing the finished product, each one of them working hard. The brothers all learned how to make Retablos from a young age and have combined their talents to make it a family business. To save money on tools, the brothers use the hair from their cat to create extremely fine paintbrush tips used to paint freckles and eyebrows on the little figurines found within the Retablos.

The freedom to be creative in his art is Julian’s favorite part of his job. He loves to create the environment in his mind of what will appear in the Retablo: people’s facial expressions, their interactions, and the natural environment they find themselves in. Unfortunately, the government limits Julian’s creativity to some extent. He knows of men who have made Retablos expressing protest against the government, and soon after found themselves in jail.

Julian feels pride for the natural beauty surrounding Ayacucho. He mentioned the fresh air, the rain, and the “campo,” or surrounding countryside. He wishes more people would visit Ayacucho to experience the beauty themselves.