For the families that work in our Lima studios for the past six years, pottery, weaving, silversmithing, knitting, painting and carving art is a family tradition. The third and fourth generations of these families with origins in the Andean regions of Ayacucho, Cuzco, Cajamarca, Junin and Puno are now working as full time artisans in a healthy and adequate work and living environment. With abundant raw materials and infrastructure, their expert hands move quickly and with confidence to fashion design, form, color and texture as they create scenes based on their culture, history and past experience. The most important fact is that they all work steadily making an above average income and utilizing renewable and sustainable natural resources from the local environment. Above all, no children are employed and not a single person has to go through exploitation in their quest to raise a family and find cultural identity and recognition through their work.

Pride and craftsmanship go a long way at Sanyork Fair Trade. Love and passion for their work is a common denominator for the artisans living and producing here. The excellence of these Peruvian artisans can be seen in the harmony of the geometric designs in weaving, the minute portraits of peasant farming life on the fine carved gourds, the cultural blend in the colorful retablos and arpilleras tapestries. There are also the finely carved Cajamarca alabaster sculptures, the complex baroque nature of the wooden and metal painted sculptures, the many forms of pottery in which they have been shaped and the fine silver shaped jewels distinctively rich in Peruvian culture. These works are just some of the cultural manifestations of people who communicate mainly through art, using a language whose fundamental aspects are abundance, fertility and confidence in the future.

A diverse nation featuring many cultures, Peru is an endless wellspring of creativity. In addition to its historic, archaeological and architectural legacies, folk art is another of Peru's tourist attractions. We are very proud to bring you the best that our in-house artisan co-op produces directly to you. At Sanyork Fair Trade every item is priced by the artisan, surpassing all conventional methods of presenting original works through traditional brick and mortar stores or large consignment web based operations that double or triple the artists asking price.
Sanyork Fair Trade's goals are focused on humanitarian missions and fair trade principles of steady flow of above average income to the producer, as well as a streamlined direct distribution strategy that cuts out every middlemen and their markups included web based consignment stores. The consumer, the artisan and the humanitarian projects benefit ultimately from this equation. Nowhere in Peru or the web you find an artisan owned operation running a vertical distribution system. From gathering raw materials, producing, exporting, wholesaling and direct marketing to the consumer. Simply our mission is that we as artisans get a fair share and that our community gets the jobs and aide it desperately needs.

Visit our store and web site and discover the wonders that Sanyork Fair Trade artisans have to offer. Find out how much difference fair trade makes in the lives of the producers and communities of underdeveloped nations.

Sincerely,
Michel Kessler
CEO
Sanyork Fair Trade