Hand Carved Nicaraguan Virgin of Guadalupe Sculpture - In Her Image

Artisan Organization: Huergo and Menchaca

Country: Central America

"Maybe everything in life has a reason. It happens that we are friends living in the same country and we have the same names. We're Angela Huergo and Angela Menchaca. Our friends call us the 'angels of the angels.'

"Together, we decided that we'd propose a new concept for Nicaraguan handicrafts. We focus on alternatives in color and form.

"Our designs arise from our different experiences united in an innovative and creative concept. The result is an avant-garde collection influenced by the culture and art of Latin America and Europe, with Caribbean colors.

"Our designs reveal our ideas but also the creativity of the artisan who brings it to life. Thus, the final result is unique.

"We are travelers. We love art and seek the way to give a different touch to our work so that it transports us to places we've seen and experienced.

"All our work is crafted by hand, carved from cedar, and each one is absolutely unique. No two pieces are ever identical. We don't use molds, just our heart, our hands and our art.

"Our beginnings were quite humble. We worked with a family of skilled artisans but we were totally unknown outside our area. We've watched their children grow and become artisans themselves as they follow their parents' footsteps to continue this beautiful and personal heritage.

"Little by little, we've matured together in our forms, colors, technique and designs. To sit and dream with a pencil and paints at hand is a way of designing our own story. And we can see it taking shape and improving as we become more demanding with our work.

"Nicaragua is a land of lakes and volcanoes, art and artists, where the heart and hands of our people can be seen in all of our art as a creative language in terms of figures and tonalities. Our work is a cultural manifestation that arises from the soul of a nation filled with music, color and life.""