Porfirio had a particular talent that did not go unnoticed, so his parents enrolled him in drawing and painting classes with Virgilio Gómez and Carlomagno Pedro Martínez, both great Oaxacan masters of great recognition. They helped Porfirio find his own style, without abandoning his Zapotec roots.

Porfirio's family is a family of weavers and has been for several generations. All members are committed to preserving the family tradition of weaving and dyeing wool with natural dyes. They work all day gathered in a central courtyard around the looms, weaving, spinning and dyeing wool. Porfirio spends long periods of time in the United States, where he teaches weaving and dyeing courses and participates in exhibitions. This allows him to help his family's economy, which has been affected by the decrease in tourism and sales in the state of Oaxaca.

The process of weaving rugs begins when the sheep are sheared, and the wool must be washed before it can be spun. The wool is brushed to separate the fibers before spinning, which is done manually with the help of a spinning wheel. Once spun, it is boiled with alum, which helps to fix the color in the wool. The dyeing is done with plants, minerals and insects that have been collected or cultivated in the gardens. Examples of natural dyes are cochineal, black sapote wood, indigo, walnut wood and many more.

Once the wool used in the weaving is ready, the pedal loom is prepared. The threads are wound into small reeds so that they can be used comfortably when weaving. The weaving is then based on a determined drawing, having calculated the wool to be used based on that drawing and the measurements that the rug will have.

 Porfirio had a particular talent that did not go unnoticed, so his parents enrolled him in drawing and painting classes with Virgilio Gómez and Carlomagno Pedro Martínez, both great Oaxacan masters of great recognition. They helped Porfirio find his own style, without abandoning his Zapotec roots.

Porfirio's family is a family of weavers and has been for several generations. All members are committed to preserving the family tradition of weaving and dyeing wool with natural dyes. They work all day gathered in a central courtyard around the looms, weaving, spinning and dyeing wool. Porfirio spends long periods of time in the United States, where he teaches weaving and dyeing courses and participates in exhibitions. This allows him to help his family's economy, which has been affected by the decrease in tourism and sales in the state of Oaxaca.

The process of weaving rugs begins when the sheep are sheared, and the wool must be washed before it can be spun. The wool is brushed to separate the fibers before spinning, which is done manually with the help of a spinning wheel. Once spun, it is boiled with alum, which helps to fix the color in the wool. The dyeing is done with plants, minerals and insects that have been collected or cultivated in the gardens. Examples of natural dyes are cochineal, black sapote wood, indigo, walnut wood and many more.

Once the wool used in the weaving is ready, the pedal loom is prepared. The threads are wound into small reeds so that they can be used comfortably when weaving. It is then woven based on a determined drawing, having calculated the wool to be used based on that drawing and the measurements that the rug will have.

951 166 6216 celular

Calle Simon bolivar #6

Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca

studio@porfiriogutierrez.com