Last August, I had the honor of receiving the Urogallo Award from the Asturian Center of Madrid in the Crafts category. This award, traditionally presented during the International Trade Fair of Asturias (FIDMA) in Gijón, recognizes individuals and groups each year who contribute to keeping Asturian culture alive and promoting it in its many forms.
A recognition with history
The Urogallo Awards, presented since 1986, encompass fields as diverse as crafts, folk songs, bagpipes, dance, and choral music. Being included on this list, alongside associations, artists, and projects I so admire, is an honor that defies description.
The Urogallo Award recognizes my work in sustainable textile crafts and the promotion of Asturian culture
Weaving from the territory
In my case, the Asturian Center of Madrid wanted to recognize the work I do at pazmesa.art: a rural textile workshop where I weave pieces on a loom with local wool—especially Xalda sheep wool—and natural dyes, linking each piece to the landscape and the memory of the land. Every scarf, shawl, or blanket is born from a slow and respectful process that considers the animals, the environment, and the rural community that sustains this craft.
A shared emotion
Receiving the Urogallo award at FIDMA, surrounded by so many people who love Asturias both within Spain and abroad, was deeply moving. I felt that this recognition went beyond my own name: it was also for the women artisans of rural areas, for those who tend flocks, weave stories, and keep traditional textile crafts alive.
Craftsmanship and innovation from the land
This award comes at a time when craftsmanship needs to be understood as a form of innovation rooted in the land: it generates local employment, keeps people in rural areas, and offers more conscious consumption alternatives. For this reason, the Urogallo award is also an incentive to continue researching, weaving, and experimenting with colors and shapes, and sharing the value of wool and textile creation from Asturias.
Thank you for joining me on this journey
I want to thank the Asturian Center of Madrid for this recognition, and all of you who support the project by buying a piece, participating in workshops, or recommending my work. Thanks to you, this small rural workshop is gradually becoming a place where Asturian crafts and culture engage with the present.
