Cedar Wood Hand-Painted Decorative Plate from Costa Rica 'Costa Rican Farm' Item ID: 2671772393

Born in Cartago, Costa Rica, Jorge is an exemplary artisan. From a very young age, he started working to be able to pay for his studies since his parents were poor and could not give him this opportunity. He discovered his talent and began painting small artworks which he sold to generate income.

"Many times I left my house with only the money for a one-way ticket to San José. There I walked many streets to sell something because if I did not sell, I could not return home. My whole family depended on me, so I put all my effort into continuing to paint and do whatever was possible to sell and have the money I needed for my ticket and food for the day.”

“The life of an artist is hard because unfortunately, art is not something essential for day-to-day living", says Jorge. However, nothing has stopped him, not even when he sadly burned down their house where they lived with their great-grandmother, whom Jorge cared for. “One night around Christmas, we woke up to a strong smell. When we realized the fire was consuming our home, we all left immediately. Thank God no one was injured, but we lost everything. The fire reached my workshop, and many works and crafts that I had were burned. It was something very hard and sad to live with.”

But he has also experienced wonderful moments, like being hired to paint a large mural, using the money to pay off the debt he had on his house and buy a car.

Jorge is a multifaceted artist with many talents, from painting to writing and singing. “I really did everything to be able to help my family, get ahead and pay for my studies. In my free time I wrote little stories. I was also part of a musical group, where I sang and I also entertained at some events, In 2017 I did a movie called “El Silencio de Sofía” which I produced and directed. I was a theater scriptwriter, and I wrote a book called “Brenda”, a fiction and drama story.”

He worked tirelessly to be able to pay for his studies. He studied Industrial Production Engineering and received a bachelor's degree in the teaching of plastic arts. Today he has a master's degree in Educational Sciences and a master's degree in Educational Administration. Study has been his main tool for getting ahead; however, it has also been a somewhat negative factor, since having such a broad resume makes it very difficult for him to find a job.

Jorge currently gives private painting classes. He also advises his students on the financial side, so that they have the tools to sell. He continues to paint and innovate in order to continue generating income, since his parents are elderly and therefore it is very difficult for them to find a job. “My parents have always believed in me and they have been my main strength, my support and for whom I continue to work hard.”

“I have participated in more than 100 exhibitions, both individual and collective. I have also won around 35 awards in different artistic specialties, which has filled me with motivation and pride in knowing that art is still valued. It has not been an easy road, but a path in which I have learned how to fall and how to get up. It’s a path of frustration but also of great satisfaction, of knowing that the obstacles do not matter. The important thing is to know how to overcome them, that constant struggle from day to day. I am grateful from the first breath of the morning when I wake up, grateful for the land in which I was born, for the parents I have and for the work that takes us forward to achieve our dreams.”

One of Jorge's biggest dreams is to be able to have a large company where he can employ many people, especially his family. A hardworking, humble and kind artist who continues to work day after day to achieve his dreams, today Jorge is part of the great family of Novica artisans. “It is a great motivator to start this promising alliance for artisans like me. We started with very little or nothing, with many dreams in mind, and with a great desire to work. It is amazing to know that art is still valued by companies like Novica, which not only helps the artisan financially, but also emotionally.”