In December 2006 , Galeria Lamanai opened the doors to her new home. Part folk-art, part curiosities picked-up along the way. We invite you to rediscover our personal take on the Caribbean and its arts , and to experience the new image of what has been part of the soul of Akumal since 1999. On Akumal beach since 1999
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Lamanai empezรณ a principio de los `90 como un proyecto de promociรณn y venta de arte popular mexicano en el Caribe, desde Cancรบn hasta Belice. Con el pasar de los aรฑos hemos logrado formar un buen equipo de trabajo que nos ha permitido expandir ese concepto hacia nuevos horizontes. Desde el 1999 existe una pequeรฑa Galerรญa en las orillas del mar Caribe, entre arena y palmeras, donde representamos decenas de artistas contemporรกneos de Mรฉxico. Aunque el arte precolombino fue una creaciรณn popular con una funciรณn social especรญfica que quizรกs se haya desaparecido con el pasar del tiempo, se ha conservado el anhelo de los artistas que la crearon. Improvisaciรณn, personalidad, sentimiento y una increรญble habilidad manual son las principales cualidades que caracterizan a esos artistas y artesanos con sus raรญces en el arte popular. Como lo dijo inmejorablemente en su tiempo Rufino Tamayo:
โHay que tener los pies firmes, hundidos โ si es preciso โ en el terruรฑo; pero hay que tener tambiรฉn los ojos, oรญdos, y la mente bien abiertos, escudriรฑando todos los horizontes.โ
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Lamanai was created at the beginning of the ยด90s as a promotional and sales project for Mexican Folk Art in the Caribbean. Throughout the years, we have been able to assemble a good working team that has allowed us to expand the original concept, and seek new horizons. In 1999 a little gallery on the Caribbean shoreline, was opened. Amongsts the sand and the palm trees, we represent dozens of contemporary artists from Mexico. Pre-Columbian art was originally a popular creation that had a specific social function, which has perhaps disappeared through time, yet the desire of the artists that created it lingers on. Improvisation, personality, feeling, and incredible human ability are the qualities that characterize these artists and artisans whose roots lay in Folk Art. As Rufino Tamayo well quoted:
One must have oneโs feet firm, buried if necessary in native soil, but one must also have oneโs eyes, ears, and mind open wide, exploring the horizons.
