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©Artesanías de Colombia
©Artesanías de Colombia
©Artesanías de Colombia
©Artesanías de Colombia
©Artesanías de Colombia

Luis Miguel de la Cruz

Luis Miguel de la Cruz Woodworker
©Artesanías de Colombia

The tamo maker

  • • Luis Miguel is one of the most renowned tamo artists in Pasto
  • • His technique started with a trial and error methodology
  • • He also masters leatherworking

Luis Miguel de la Cruz is the first one in his family to become an artisan. He started his artisan career by working with wood, in crafts such as carving and carpentry. Then he began working in his brother-in-law’s leather workshop. After several years, he got together with his brother and they started selling leather products, which made him famous. Finally, his creativity and passion for craft led him to start experimenting, testing and improving the application of the tamo (wheat stems) technique. With new applications of colours and refined designs, he works every day in order to create elegant and unique products. Luis won the Medal for Artisanal Mastery in 2006 and Master of Masters prize in 2014.

Read the full interview

Works

  • ©Artesanías de Colombia
  • ©Artesanías de Colombia
  • ©Artesanías de Colombia
Photo: ©Artesanías de Colombia
Short neck small jar

This yellow vase is handturned and decorated in tamo (wheat stems). The technique used for the upper layer allows the materials to become both flexible and rigid. Luis Miguel De La Cruz used a solid and dry wood that has undergone a treatment process.

Height 22 cm
Width 47 cm

Photo: ©Artesanías de Colombia
Alba Candy Box

This multi-coloured vase is handturned and decorated in tamo (wheat stems). This process consists of making decorative forms with wheat stems which are previously dyed in warm water. The stems are then opened in the middle and finely chiseled to obtain coloured threads. They are eventually applied to the wood and sometimes coated with lacquers, sealants or varnish.

Height 12 cm
Width 78 cm

Photo: ©Artesanías de Colombia
Sindamanoy vase

This orange vessel is made of handturned wood and tamo (wheat stems). his process consists of making decorative forms with wheat stems which are previously dyed orange in warm water. This fibre allows the creation of a wide variety of curvilinear shapes.

Height 25 cm
Width 86 cm

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