The exhibition “MANOS SABIAS. Textiles Andinos del Sur del Perú” (“WISE HANDS. Andean Textiles from Southern Peru”) brings together pieces from an important selection of Quechua and Aymara textiles, made between 1920 and 1970, belonging to the personal collection of Ester Ventura.

Ester Ventura is a notable artist dedicated herself for five decades to the creation of unique pieces in the field of author jewelry. However, this is not her only passion: her interest has led her to study significant aspects of the native Andean textile art.

Dyed with natural extracts from plants, insects and minerals and made on handlooms, the textile designs contain a wealth of knowledge of the Andean cosmovision and narrate their festivities, their relationship with nature and everyday life.

 “Little by little I was forming this collection, taking in each piece, attracted by its beauty, by the fineness of its weave and by the harmony that emanates from the bold combination of its colours. While I was developing it, I was weaving relationships with the people of remote parts of our mountains, who preserve the keys to the ideographic language expressed in each work, and with specialists who have dedicated themselves to unravel the mysterious iconography that is in each design, which has helped me to understand that there is nothing left to chance”, says the artist.

The collectionist celebrates her Golden Anniversary in Peru by sharing what she has learned about the refined language of Andean textile art. Manos sabias. Textiles Andinos del Sur del Perú (“WISE HANDS. Andean Textiles from Southern Peru”) is a sign of commitment and admiration for the native art of our Andes and a way of paying homage to those wise hands that, since ancient times, they continue to create extraordinary works through which we can learn about the complex and elaborate Andean cosmovision.