Today the thirty-seventh edition of the Regional Craft Fair, that on this occasion he has gathered in the Fairground of Santa Cruz de Tenerife 137 artisans and artisans from all over the Archipelago. A meeting point where the wide and rich cultural and artistic heritage that exists in the Islands has been made clear and that, in most cases, passes from generation to generation.
It is the case of Susana afonso, which is a raffia basket. It makes openwork in thread and also Canarian rosette. A trade to which he has dedicated himself “all his life” and which he learned from his grandmother. He tells DIARIO DE AVISOS that, although “it is a tradition, it is very beautiful, but also very hard, because, in addition, you have to pay a lot of things.” Of course, this icodense by birth does not imagine working in anything else.
Likewise, Susana Afonso explains that “I am not without doing it. It is all done by hand, with a needle and thread. You have to make the structure with wire first, shape it, and then fill it in. Then you have to sew the wire to start to pierce threads ”. Make earrings, baskets and even lamps. During the pandemic it was “fatal”, but it was a time when he took the opportunity to make merchandise and innovate, for example, with earrings and pendants that he colors with natural and artificial dyes.
Susana has a small stand in front of the ancient dragon tree and says “to escape now that tourism has started to come.” Likewise, he sells through the social networks managed by his granddaughters, who study and learn the trade. In another of the positions is Manuel, who has come from Gran Canaria and who has been working in cutlery for eight years.
He creates unique “piece knives” that he makes with goat, ram and cow horns, as well as with wood, silver, gold and even with old coins, such as duros and pesetas. The talent and love of this professional bricklayer for what he does is indisputable. Use your imagination to create knives that are a real gem. “The tip of the horn is heated, pressed and made into a board”, explains this craftsman, who is convinced that “the trade is being lost and that it should be recovered” with the support of the administrations.
“In Gran Canaria we have an association in which we give courses. What happens is that there are people who do not finish them and thus harm those of us who dedicate ourselves to it in a professional way ”, he emphasizes.
These work tools, originally from Gran Canaria, which have always been used in the field, can cost “between 140 and 2,000 euros”. Products made “from the leaf to the sheath”, which takes several days to finish, depending on their complexity. In the position of the Najas brothers are Jose Carlos and Juan Luis, two locals who make string musical instruments. They are carpenters by profession and for 10 years they have dedicated themselves exclusively to handicrafts. It is something that runs in the family: “We always saw our father, since we were little. We learned from him and now we dedicate ourselves to it ”.
These luthier brothers make guitars, violins, ukuleles, Herreño drums, chácaras, lutes, bandurrias and, of course, Canarian timples. They say that the manufacturing system “is complex, because no nails or screws are used,” they can only glue. Also, that “the woods must always be very dry to be able to work”, although “water and heat are used to tame the rings and give them the desired shape”. But they also make these instruments sound good. Something that is not simple and for which they reveal that a lot of “intuition” is needed.
Finally, we meet Pascasio, who has come from the island of La Palma with his wife Carmen “to keep him company and help him.” Pascasio is a carpenter, 88 years old and has been in crafts since 2008. He learned the trade on his own, noting “a very good cabinetmaker who worked very well” on the Isla Bonita.
“I have a grandson and two great-grandchildren, but they don’t want to dedicate themselves to this, because they believe that it is sacrificed, although I think that the work that one does at ease is not. It is very important that you like it and enjoy it ”, he explains. This clapper makes mortars, spoons, forks, bowls, castanets, keys, and even juicers. A job that he defines as “laborious”, to which you have to dedicate hours and in which “you cannot run”.
All these professional artisans and artisans agree that the XXXVII Regional Handicraft Fair has been good for them to make themselves known, but that they have noticed fewer people than in other years. They recognize that there is “an economic crisis”, that “we are in a pandemic” and that there have been “other events that have developed at the same time.” Still, artisans and visitors agree that it is worth attending, because “there are new people, with modern methods and designs.”
The best? That there is still the day ahead of today, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., in which to buy products from our land.
