Fine art from artists across the globe!
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Juan Francisco Paredes was born in Quito -Ecuador, in 1985. His passion for wood art, which runs in the family, began at an early age, closely observing his grandfather’s recreational work with this noble material. Many were the objects that came to life in that small workshop in the traditional San Juan neighborhood in Quito, the same workshop in which he works to this day. Toys and furniture took shape before his very eyes; many of these pieces were decorated using taracea, a Spanish technique of wood inlay, or marquetry, that consists of joining various fragments of wood veneer, and requires precision and patience to create complex geometric or figurative designs. This technique was passed down from generation to generation. His sister, Ana, learned it from their father and applied it to furniture, incorporating floral designs accented with various wood tones. When Juan Francisco began painting murals inspired by the Andean landscapes and the aesthetics of Ecuadorian painter Oswaldo Guayasamín’s work, it was Ana who encouraged him to apply taracea to his pieces. Juan Francisco has taken this family tradition to another level, keeping the art of taracea alive and, for this reason, he was named Guardian of Quito's Heritage by the Instituto Metropolitano del Patrimonio. The complexity of his designs is evident in each one of his works, in which he preserves the natural tones of woods such as laurel, pine, poplar root, elm, cheery, and wenge. The use of a pyrograph –a woodburning tool– allows for the addition of small details, enriching each piece. Juan Francisco divides his time between his Artemadera workshop and his other passion: music. He belongs to the Universidad Técnica Equinoccial choir. This activity allows him to maintain a keen sensitivity toward art in all its forms of expression. The creative process never ceases; currently siblings Juan Francisco and Ana are working in ideas and sketches for the production of new pieces that will come to life in Ecuador, in the skilled hands of the artist.
