The year was 2010, I was visiting Colombia for the first time to visit with my future husband. We traveled by bus to Pasto (Colombia) from Ipiales. Back then, it was a bit of a frightening trip. The bus traveled on a two lane highway without any pullout areas or passing lanes, as is normal on a similar highway in the United states. To pass slow vehicles, the bus swerved into the lane of opposing traffic…often around blind curves. There were many white crosses around these curves, similar to the custom in the U.S. of marking the place of a road fatality. When we last visited Pasto, just last year (2022), I was relieved to see that the treacherous road had been replaced by a U.S. style four lane highway.
After arriving, we visited Fabian’s cousin, Lilia. We enjoyed a delightful meal of traditional Colombian food in her home with her family. As is the custom after lunch, we took a nap, a siesta. Following siesta, Lilia took us on a walking tour of Pasto. At this time, the local volcano, Galeras (see image at the left), was belching smoke and steam, and covering the city with fine textured ash. It was the first time in my life that I had been so close to an active volcano. Earlier the same year, it had erupted, covering the city with heavy ash.
After walking through tiendas– shops and admiring the local churches, we arrived at a gallery called “Barniz de Pasto Obando.” At first, I had mistakenly thought the colorful plates, vases, boxes, and sculptures were ceramic. I remember picking up a piece, something that had caught my eye, its light weight gave me a surprise! I could not believe was wood! I marveled at the light weight of the art work, while my eyes took in the colorful embossed designs.
As potter myself, I was immediately awed at the skill evident in the designs, and the sharpness of the lines, clearly, and detail. I wanted to learn more, thankfully the tienda had leaflets in English explaining the process of how Mopa Mopa or Barniz de Pasto is made, including a picture of two men using their hands and teeth to stretch a thin film of colored resin between them. I remember admiring the plates and platters the most. They were decorated with colorful geometric designs that were clearly inspired by indigenous designs centuries old.
When I was not looking, my fiance asked Lilia to buy a small, hinged box decorated with a tiny landscape scene made in Mopa Mopa (see image at the right), that would later be given to me with my engagement/wedding ring inside. Today, I am still amazed by the detail of the scene, considering the “canvas” is the rectangular lid of a box no larger than 2 inches by 1 and a half inches. It pictures two people reclining on the ground near a palm tree with a background of what could be a river with hills rising farther away. The sun is rising above red hills into a pink sky with two white birds flying overhead. The sides of the box are decorated with red daisy like flowers with white centers accompanied by yellow foliage. The detail of this scene was created by cutting into a sheet of colored Mopa Mopa resin with an exacto type knife, then attaching the cut film to the box with nothing more than body heat from the hands and arms of the artist themselves. Sometimes electric heat is used also to help the Mopa Mopa to stick to the wood.
Twelve years later, here we are, now a married couple dedicated to selling Mopa Mopa. Barniz de Pasto Obando, the shop where we first encountered Mopa Mopa has now closed, and many things in Pasto have changed, but thankfully, Mopa Mopa is still being produced today.
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Your blog is a constant source of inspiration for me. Your passion for your subject matter is palpable, and it’s clear that you pour your heart and soul into every post. Keep up the incredible work!