About the Artist

Although tapestry weaving is an ancient technique, Máximo Laura has brought it into the 21st Century with his modern design ideas and use of colours. Laura fibre art designs may be contemporary or cultural or a combination of both. To date, Laura is little known in the UK and his work is generally only owned by people who have been to Peru or South America.

Laura is a tapestry weaver who is internationally recognized as one of South America’s pre-eminent textile artists and the pride of Peru, his country of birth. Consultant, designer and lecturer in Art and Contemporary Andean textile design, his work is in collections worldwide and has been exhibited in 72 solo and numerous group shows.

Laura has been exhibiting and winning awards for his fibre art for over 20 years. He has won awards in both national and international competitions including a UNESCO Prize for Latin America and the Caribbean (Spain, 1992), among others. Other recent awards include:

• 2010 Second Place Award, Fantastic Fibers 2010, the Yeiser Art Center, KY, USA.
• 2009 HGA Award in recognition of a work outstanding, Handweavers Guild of America, USA.
• 1st Place Award, Small Expressions 2009, Mississippi, USA.
• “Grand National Prize Amautas of Peruvian Handicraft”, Government of Peru, PERU

Owners of Laura works include:

• The World Bank, Washington DC, USA
• Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Washington DC, USA
• Headquarters of UNESCO, Paris, FRANCE
• The Coca-Cola Company, Lima
• Museum of the Americas Miami, USA
• National Museum of Peruvian Culture, Lima, PERU

He is a co-founder of the Ibero-American Textile Network, and a member of both the American Tapestry Alliance and the European Textile Network.

To find more information about Laura, visit www.maximolaura.com