Tz’utuhil Maya from San Pedro la Laguna
1907 to 1996

The first Tz’utuhil Maya painter, he began painting in 1929 when he was living in San Pedro la Laguna. He made his own paints by mixing the analyne dyes of the weavers with sap from a tree, and began painting on any surface available—feathers, cans, whatever material was available. Later he moved to the coastal town of Chicacao. Many of his sons, nephews, and grandsons became well known painters.