Otovalo Market - Textile Heaven
Fabiola Sanchez is differnet than other designer/weavers in Otovalo, and I found her work irresistible. After walking all over the market Friday and Saturday, and seeing many typical designs of oranges and red geometric patterns I went back to get the lobos. When I first saw them, an old man was working that booth. When I returned, I met the artist herself, Fabiola, who said her designs were unique in the market, something I had already decided. I loved the whimsy and the colors. Even if they aren´t typical , they are done by a local artist, and that´s enough for me.
Fabiola says it takes her one day to make these lobos (wolves). She does it by hand on a loom, which is typical of the artisans in this region. Complicated designs can take many days.
Right next door to her was another designer/weaver - Segundo. I also bought some of his work, which also seemed different and better than most of what I saw.
I made it home with just $10 in my pocket, which means I did a lot of shopping. Lots. Here´s a few sights and scenes from my day in Otovalo, the most famous and largest market in Ecuador.
