Santa Catarina de Palopó has about 5,000 inhabitants and is one of the small towns built around Lake Atitlán, considered the deepest in Central America, at 1,500 meters above sea level and surrounded by volcanoes. It is a place where the Mayan culture is still very present. Therefore, the huipil it is very common, especially among local women. Using a natural dyeing process of fabric fibers, unique combinations of colors and design patterns are created, which have become a symbol of the city.
Inspired by this art, Guatemalan Melissa Whitbeck developed the project “Painting Santa Catarina Palopó”, using fabric patterns as a basis to create designs for the walls of houses and buildings around the city.
“We created a base of drawings for families to mix and choose what they are going to paint in their homes. It is something very unique and representative for the families of the region, as it is something they use in fabrics on a daily basis. So they wanted to share that with the world,” explains Melissa.
Today, there are around 850 buildings in the city that have been fully colored through the project, with the help of the community. In addition to valuing its own culture, Santa Catarina de Palopó has also seen itself transformed into a cultural destination for tourism, helping to leverage an economy based almost entirely on agriculture and fishing.
“I’ve always believed that Guatemalans are true artists”, concludes Melissa, happy with the result. On a trip through Guatemala, the Planet CNN this Sunday (2) airs at 7:15 pm, and brings more about the project and the secrets of natural dyeing of fabrics in the region.
Source: CNN Brasil
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