Some of Gelacio Giron’s earliest memories are of the mines in Raura, Peru where his father worked when he was a child. His primary school teachers would hold classes for all the children of the mine workers. At the time, he did not realize that these would be some of his most stable days in a life of unforeseen challenges.
In the years after his military service, and struggling to help his family overcome a difficult financial situation, Gelacio set out for Lima with almost no money and only two changes of clothing. In the capital, he moved in with an aunt and accepted any job that would pay him — he cleaned houses, worked as a salesman, and apprenticed as a printmaker. Eventually, he earned enough to enroll in technical school for accounting, and found himself working at the government mint in Lima.
But with political turmoil afoot, he once again found himself unemployed, broke and facing some of the darkest days of his life. It was then that he discovered an uncle who offered to teach him the craft of reverse-painted glass. Gelacio remembers his uncle’s words that day…and his warning. “I can teach you to work in reverse-painted glass, but you'll need patience and good humor because, otherwise, your designs won't sell.”
For Gelacio, it was love at first sight. “From the first time I saw my uncle's work, the process and the results, I was overcome with the desire to learn. That's when I knew this is what I wanted to do in life.”
While the road from that moment until this one was hardly straight, nor without ups and downs, the art form itself seems to have offered Gelacio an insight into an existence that he did not have before.
"I went through a lot of difficulties. I hit bottom financially and had only enough money to live from day to day. However, there's something that characterizes human beings and that's the capacity to start over when the going gets rough. I held my head high. I was persevering and innovative, and always had a vision for the future. I believed in myself and in what I could do.
Today, Gelacio derives inspiration from Peru's ancient cultures and the natural world around him. “It is Peru's beauty and the exotic flora of her regions that inspire me to develop my work.”
His collection of beautiful mirrors and elegant home decor reveal the depth, imagination and perseverance of a truly incredible artisan. |
