The Beginning
Born and raised in Pasto, Colombia, in the Department of Narino, Fabian heard about Barniz de Pasto artwork; however, he didn’t discover it himself until he was in his early 20s. He was walking about the city when he happened upon a small gallery. Inside, he was greeted by brightly decorated boxes, animals, platters, and more.
Years later, while visiting the United States, he met a lady who would eventually become his wife. Before they were married, Roq traveled to Colombia to meet Fabian’s family. While visiting Fabian’s cousin in Pasto, she took them on a tour of the city and showed them a gallery selling mopa mopa artwork. His wife, herself an artist, was very impressed by the workmanship, beauty, and process of making mopa mopa. Fabian doesn’t remember whether this gallery was the same as the one he had discovered years earlier.
Saving Mopa Mopa from Extinction
Mopa mopa is under threat on several fronts. First, many of the current artists are aging, and many of their children are not interested in following in their ancestors’ crafting traditions. The younger generations want to go to college and become professionals, believing that art is not a real profession and that it is not possible to make a living in art.
Another concern regarding the sustainability of mopa-mopa is the preservation of the trees from which the resin (from the buds) is harvested. There is a rich tradition of harvester families that use harvesting practices that do not damage the trees. They harvest twice a year, so the trees have ample time to regenerate during the warm, year-round growing season.
The lands where the mopa mopa trees grow are under threat. Development is a major risk to all Amazonian lands in Colombia. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has designated mopa mopa as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and therefore must be protected.
Arte De Mopa Mopa is engaged in protecting the mopa mopa trees and artwork by bringing it to the United States to increase awareness in the hope that there will be greater institutional protection of these lands. For many years after they were married, Fabian and Roq talked about importing mopa mopa to the United States and opening a store. Many years later, they finally decided to make the leap to selling mopa mopa and other crafts online. The couple hopes to save mopa mopa from extinction by introducing Americans to this beautiful but hidden art.
Please help us keep this beautiful artwork from becoming extinct by supporting families whose life’s work is creating and by creating demand, which will push governmental institutions to take necessary action to halt development in these sensitive ecosystems.