Florentina López de Jesús

Who is Florentina López de Jesús?

Florentina López de Jesús is a traditional Amuzgo weaver from Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero, Mexico. She was born on July 25, 1939 and like most Amuzgo girls, learned to weave cotton garments by watching and imitating her mother starting at age six. As an adult, her production was at first sold among her friends or done by special order as she had no permanent shop.

Her work caught the attention of FONART in between 1969 and 1971, which led to her becoming a member of the La Flor de Xochistlahuaca artisans’ cooperative. After winning awards for her work starting in 1980, she began selling her pieces in Ometepec. She has worked to develop the craft, investigating natural dyes made with the plants and minerals of the area around Xochistlahuaca, teaching weaving classes in the town and the surrounding region and attending seminars on natural dyes. She has mastered various weaving techniques such as taffeta, simple weave, taletón and variations of gauze. Her specialty is gauze brocade with the design woven in using variously colored weft threads. In addition to traditional huipils, she produces napkins, tablecloths, rebozos and bedspreads. By special order, she has made garments with other fibers such as silk and synthetics. Her work has won a number of awards including 2nd place Gran Premio de Arte Popular, FONART in 1987, 1st place Gran Premio de Arte Popular, FONART in 1991 and Premio Nacional de Artesanias de SECOFI in 1993.