Máximo Laura was born on November 18, 1959 in Ayacucho, in the Peruvian Andes. Laura comes from a long line of weavers, carrying years of textile tradition in his veins. He learned the art of weaving as a child with his father, Miguel Laura, but it was not until many years later that he turned this into his profession and passion.
The political circumstances of the 80’s in Ayacucho forced Laura to settle in Lima, it was there that when he began his studies of literature at the University of San Marcos with the dream of becoming a poet and writer, he saw weaving as a means of economic income with which, unwittingly, he found the vocation that would lead him to live among fibers and colors.
Peruvian cultures such as Chavin, Paracas, Nazca, Huari and Chancay are a source of inspiration for Laura as well as artists such as Fernando de Syszlo, Olga de Amaral, Jean Lurcat, Sheila
Hicks, Gerardo Chavez, among others. Máximo Laura’s designs, paintings and weavings reflect years of curiosity, research and investigation that he has managed to translate into his own mythology and language.
Throughout his career Laura has developed around 13 series, each one developed in a different stage of Máximo’s career in which the evolution of style and use of color is captured. Laura has managed to create a timelessness in his work, using symbols, memories, myths and ancestral rituals with contemporary art. See chronology
Laura is a teacher and lecturer of textile techniques and contemporary Andean textile design. Laura has more than 140 exhibitions around the world in more than 29 countries. His long trajectory has led her to obtain great awards such as the UNESCO award for Latin America and the Caribbean, “National Living Human Treasure” of Peru, “Manos de Oro”, “National Amauta of Peruvian Crafts”, “Master of Iberoamerican Crafts”, “Latin American Sustainable Luxury Award” among others. See awards
Today, Laura continues to create and improve his weaving techniques in his home workshop in Lima. Along with his museum, her students and the master classes she teaches once a year, Laura has the desire to preserve and continue to foster the weaving culture in future generations.
