In Neiva's Plaza Cívica Los Libertadores, Huila, Luz Perla González marks 40 years as a dedicated artisan of traditional nativity scenes. Her work preserves cultural heritage during the Christmas season. With quality materials and meticulous craft, she brings hope and memory to families across Colombia.
Luz Perla González, a Huila artisan, celebrates four decades of work in creating and selling nativity scenes—those Christmas depictions of Jesus's birth that adorn homes—in Neiva's Plaza Cívica Los Libertadores. Her journey began 40 years ago in a central Neiva gallery, where an artisan from Pitalito showed her figurines that sold well during Christmas. “I am an artisan for already 40 years,” Luz Perla recounts. “My story started many years ago, as I say, 40 years ago. There used to be a gallery in the center, where an artisan from Pitalito arrived with little figures and showed me the work. He told me that it sold a lot at Christmas and I told him that I would like to sell it too. Since then, I have been in this,” she told LA NACIÓN.
Over the years, she has evolved in techniques and materials to maintain quality. She initially used Styrofoam but now prefers porcelanicrón over rubber, and caracolí wood boards that take about two months to dry. “I work with a lot of porcelanicrón and not with rubber,” she details. “The quality of the nativity scenes is what stands out.” Each piece includes details like small logs for stairs, artificial grass, painted pebbles, and figurines that bring the scene to life.
During peak season, she produces over 200 nativity scenes, selling 8 to 10 daily, with prices ranging from 35,000 to 600,000 pesos depending on size and complexity. Many of her works are shipped to cities outside Huila, extending her cultural reach. For Luz Perla, nativity scenes go beyond decoration: they are living memory and education. “It is important to maintain the tradition of nativity scenes so that this celebration does not end and so that children know that there is a nativity scene, that there is a baby Jesus who is born and everything that is told,” she emphasizes. Her commitment renews values of identity and hope during Christmas festivities.
