For Ma. Refugio Asunción Cruz Aranda and Roberto Manuel Jiménez Mejía, basketry began in childhood, alongside their mothers, fathers, and grandparents gathering materials from the rivers and countryside. Refugio remembers accompanying her mother and grandmother to her grandfather’s milpa near the river in search of willow branches, while Manuel grew up helping his parents collect jara and willow in the rivers around Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato. What began as simple childhood tasks—cleaning and preparing the fibers for their elders to weave—became a lifelong craft.

Together, they now draw on more than fifty years of Manuel’s experience and Refugio’s deep commitment to carrying this tradition forward. Their work remains rooted in the natural materials of the region, including jara, willow and sabino, while incorporating mimbre, seaweed, cintilla and rejilla. In recent years, they have expanded their practice through the use of natural dyes, experimenting with ingredients such as turmeric, black beans, cochineal, Brazilwood, pericón and mitle to create subtle and unexpected colors. Refugio especially enjoys developing new forms and responding to the ideas of her clients, allowing tradition and innovation to meet in each piece. Their baskets are not simply functional objects; the materials, colors and techniques reflect their relationship with the rivers and landscapes where these traditions began. Sharing their knowledge is equally important to their work.

Refugio has taught basketry workshops in family and school settings and, during the Festival of Life and Death at Xcaret, introduced more than 600 children to the craft through hands-on workshops. For both artisans, teaching is a way of ensuring that the knowledge passed down through generations continues into the future. Through their weaving, they preserve not only a traditional craft but also the memory of the people, places and natural materials that have sustained it. 

Feria Maestros del Arte: 2026   

ARTIST INFORMATION

Teguisguiapan, Querétaro   

414-231-7415  

Email tallerdeartesaniasmanosunidas@gmail.com   

Facebook: Manos Unidas Taller Artesanías  

Instagram: @manosunidas_tallerdeartesania