Santiago Lake Atitlan Guatemala Artist works are steeped in the history and culture of the Village of Santiago and the Mayan history these works represent. We hope by providing this webpage about the Artisans of Santiago we offer a view into the Authentic works of the Artisans of Santiago.
Santiago Lake Atitlan Guatemala Artist Pedro Sosof- Iglesia del Arte
High in the jungle of Guatemala, Pedro Sosof spent his childhood farming the mountain sides with his family. He observed everything around him with a keen eye, and taught himself to paint after leaving his mountain home.
Now for 35 years Pedro has been putting his intimate knowledge of mountains and their inhabitants on canvas.
Pedro Sosof now owns an art gallery in Santiago Atitlán– Iglesia del Arte– where he and his daughter both display their stunning paintings as well as teach interactive classes.
When students come to learn how to paint, both student and teacher paint a canvas together in acrylic, a work which is then gifted to the student. Pedro also often shares his work with organizations in the community in order to help them raise funds.
Every one of Pedro’s paintings is an original oil on canvas work. This can be difficult to find among highly visited market streets in Guatemala, where copies of well-known designs are produced with house paint and sold cheaply.
In the place of titles, Pedro assigns themes to completed works. His paintings focus on the stunning flora and fauna found around Lake Atitlán, in the mountains, and on the coast of Guatemala.
Each painting is infused with the vibrant colors typical of the Tz’utujil culture, and birds important to the Tz’utujil are prominently featured.
