Feliciano Pop truly epitomizes and is living proof that when you do what you love, it is no longer considered work.
San Pedro La Laguna Sculpture Village Of San Pedro La Laguna Lake Atitlan
San Pedro La Laguna sits on the shores of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala under the watchful gaze of Volcano San Pedro. Located about a 30 minute boat ride from Panajachel, the gateway to Lake Atitlan, San Juan La Laguna is worth a stop for its famous paintings, weaving’s, and Feliciano Pop
Feliciano Pop was born on September 29, 1929, in San Pedro La Laguna, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, a Tz’utujil village that is steeped in rich cultural practices and history. He grew up within a modest household, his father Don Francisco Pop Petzey was a peasant farmer and his mother Doña Julia González a very humble and hard working woman.
At a very young age he discovered his love for sculpting when carving his first figure from volcanic pumice that he found on the shores of Lake Atitlan. His teacher was Rafael González y González, a famous painter in San Juan, whom he credits with helping him realize his potential as a sculptor.
San Pedro La Laguna Sculpture Feliciano Pop
While a hard rock doesn’t inspire much in most people’s imaginations, for Feliciano Pop it was the perfect canvas. He remembers spending hours chipping away at stone.
His work is a combination of artistic insight shared with a blending of natural shapes that creates and gives his work a simplicity and strength that goes beyond just carving into stone.
And while he works with various kinds of stones, most of his work consists of optimizing a stone’s original shape, creating traditional Mayan themed sculptures, which in turn, is a way of bringing life to his culture.
Not only is Feliciano Pop sculptor, a well-known sculptor, he also served as the mayor of San Juan La Laguna in the eighties. These days, he continues to live his humble life in a home that also serves as a museum filled with his stone carvings which he sells to help raise money for those less fortunate.
San Pedro La Laguna Sculpture
He continues to embrace his rich indigenous spirit and culture, dressing in the traditional Tz’utujil wear indicative of his culture that is made from fabric hand-woven from natural materials and embroidered with intricate and beautiful designs.
At 86 years young, Feliciano Pop is still an incredibly talented and charismatic man. He has lived a rich life short on stuff, rather filled with experiences, a life deep in meaning and love and overflowing with compassion towards others.
We were fortunate to spend some time with him recently, where we were greeted with warmth and open arms. Feliciano has a speaking style that is calm and fluid, a genuine affectionate smile that literally lights up the room, and an aura of personality that draws you in and holds your rapt attention.
He has the special gift of being able to pick up on your emotions as well as to express his own.
