16 Artisans of Oaxaca

Isak Vasquez, an artist famous throughout Mexico for his weaving, shows in his palm how the cochineal insect is crushed to make the red dye. The insect lives on the cactus leaf he holds. He lives in Teotitlan del Valle, in the central valley of Oaxaca, where three generations of his family work in his workshop. A large percentage of the residents of Teotitlan have left to work in the United States, but the rugmaking workshops are one of the main sources of income for those who stay.

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photographs and stories by David Bacon © 1990-1999

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