Juan Carlos Diaz Garcia is a young Tzotzil artisan from the small community of Cha´lotoj in the municipality of San Andres Larrainzar, Chiapas.

As a child he attended the autonomous school of the area. Many of the communities in the area are part of the Zapatista movement and the towns have regular governmental schools as well as autonomous schools.

 Now he teaches primary school at the local autonomous school of the community, several days a week, for which he receives no salary as it is part of his participation in his community.  In return his community gives him permission to go out and earn money for his group as a recognition for his work for the community.

He learned the warp look from his aunt Manuela Diaz Ruiz at the age of 11 and remembers that his first piece had stars (puntax) and was sold for 10 pesos.

 Over the years he learned how to brocade the traditional icons from San Andres and at the age of sixteen, in 2020, he made a wonderful traditional costume that he decided to enter  in the competition of Fray Bartolome . As he was underage, he entered the piece under the name of his aunt. The costume won first place.

The same year he attended his first fair in Mexico City and started organizing the women he knew into a small group to have more merchandise to sell and also because many of the women are not allowed by the husband or the family to travel.

Four years later the group has 25 members and has become known for the quality of its work and for its original designs,

In 2022 Juan Carlos was invited to participate in ORIGINAL in Mexico and thanks to being invited 3 years in a row he has been able to develop a clientele and help the sales of the group.

He is the coordinator of the group as most of the women do not have enough knowledge or education to deal with internet and the outside world.

Their work is known for its high quality, its colors and the use of various materials from traditional cotton and wool to the synthetic thread that gives the garments a different look.

Juan Carlos likes to innovate and blend contemporary designs and colors with traditional Maya icons. He has a very personal style that shows throughout the work of the group.

Feria Maestros del Arte 2025

ARTIST INFORMATION

Conocido Cha´lotoj, San Andres Larrainzar

29863 Chiapas

Cell: whatsapp 967 2297230

Email: jd81215@gmail.com

Facebook: Juan Carlos Diaz Garcia

Instagram: Juan Carlos Diaz Garcia