Benita Martinez

My name is Benita Martinez Sosa and I am from Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca. I dedicate myself to cleaning houses but during the pandemic I stopped doing it. So, I began to dedicate myself more to what I learned to do since I was five years old. I learned by watching my grandparents. Everything I learned was taught to me at home by my parents and grandparents. Our art is something shared from generation to generation. My grandmother washed the wool in a basket and I rubbed it to remove all the dirt and dirt. I remember that he used a natural sweet potato soap, it was called amole, a natural detergent that cleaned the sheep’s wool. My grandfather wove Zapotec designs which included the ruins of Oaxaca, such as fretwork and Mayan idols. Little by little, I began to practice more and more complicated designs until I was skilled enough to create my own designs. I like to use bright colors of yarn to weave landscapes of nature and trees of life with flowers and birds. I want to dedicate myself more to this craft and recognize the crafts of my family that is in Oaxaca. I did not have to go to school to learn to weave, and in the same way I am teaching my daughters to weave so as not to lose our culture.