Hand-Painted Ceramic Elephant Ornaments from Peru (Set of 5) - Cheery Elephants

Artisan Organization: Zoila Davila

Country: Peru

"I lived at home with my parents until I finished school, then I took courses in making flowers for bridal veils, among other subjects. As time went by, my interest in handicrafts grew and I took all the courses I could until I discovered ceramics. I didn't find it difficult and fell in love with this medium.

"I began to earn my living from what I enjoy most — ceramics. We had a difficult moment when Peru changed its currency. This affected me a lot because, by then, I had three children to support and needed to be both mother and father to them.

"However, I tried to overcome all these difficulties in order to achieve my goals, such as buying a piece of land and finding more clients.

"I've been a ceramist since 1986 and use my imagination to create designs that are different and original. At first, I had to work at it, just like when you begin anything new. But after about a year, I was able to.

"Most of my learning has been by trial and error. After many years, I began teaching ceramics classes in schools and also to older people. At the moment, I work with red clay and the most interesting thing about this art is that each new model is a challenge. Creating the design you have in mind is sometimes harder than it seemed.

"I've always worked with my children. My oldest daughter designs our new models, my son looks for new clients and my youngest daughter helps me paint and glaze our ceramics. So in the end, we all have something to do in the workshop — craft pieces, fire them and glaze them. We do all this to make sure to bring you the quality you expect."

Zoila Davila was recognized as a woman entrepreneur by APEC-PERU in 2012. In 2014, she received the Exporters of Peru award for her outstanding trajectory. And she was recognized by the Embassy of Peru in Colombia for representing the Artisans of Peru in 2016."