Raul Iturbide Ciriaco specializes in hand-painting detailed and colorful scenes of typical Náhuat traditions. Raul has painted decorative masks, sun and moons, and Christmas tree ornaments. To view a caotalogue of hand-painted items by Raul Iturbide Ciriaco, click on the link at the bottom of the page. Raul Iturbide Ciriaco is of the Náhuat indigenous culture of Mexico and from the village of San Agustin Oapan, which is a small village on the banks of the Rio Balsas in Guerrero, a province in central Mexico. The Náhuat Indians, who speak the ancient Aztec derived language of Nahuatl, have lived and farmed the land in villages along the Rio Balsas river since before the Spanish conquest. When it became difficult to support their families on the sales of agricultural products in the early 20th century, the villagers in these isolated villages turned to art. Paintings created by artists from San Agustin Oapan use bright colors and depict familiar village scenes like weddings, Christmas celebrations, planting crops and harvesting. Raul is 17 years old and was taught to paint by his father when he was 12. Raul, like his brother Samuel, is a Náhuat indian artisan that works with Casa Romero. Casa Romero is a cooperative organization that helps these Náhuat artisans get the supplies they need as well as locate markets for their artistic goods. Through the efforts of Casa Romero and Raul's hard-work and artistic talents, Raul has become a very accomplished painter of traditional Náhuat village scenaries. Raul's favorite images to paint are the white Calla lilies common to traditional Mexican art. Raul illustrates his artistic talents in the form of hand-painted suns and moons, wooden crosses, molds of doves and rabbits, ceramic masks, as well as Christmas ornaments. To view a caotalogue of hand-painted items of the Náhuat indigenous culture of Mexico by Raul Iturbide Ciriaco, click on the link below. Catalogue of Hand-Painted Items by Raul Iturbide Ciriaco