Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz, received two Chemamull, Mapuche wooden statues, creations from master craftsman and expert carver, Antonio Paillafil. One sculpture depicts a woman made of cypress and a man made of oak.
The works measuring two meters tall were installed in the exhibition hall of the Foreign Ministry. The Minister wants to decorate this space with different elements of indigenous cultures of Chile, and it is hoped that initiatives such as this one are replicated over time. "The foreign ministers, prime ministers and officials visiting from abroad should see what we are," said the Secretary of State.
The Foreign Minister remarked on the rich diversity of the indigenous peoples and added that "we should take steps to demonstrate what we are."
Upon receiving the figures, Minister Muñoz participated in a ritual ceremony where the creator of these pieces removed his energy from the figures, so that they can soak up the energy from the new material owner of these works.
Paillafil explained that Chemamull, which dates back to the year 1250, play a protective role. "Since the Foreign Minister has much work and meets with many people, these figures will be their protectors, they will take care of them," he said.
Antonio Paillafil took close to forty days to build these figures. The process started with washing his hands with water that had not previously been touched by man. "By washing my hands with this water, I can enter a process of building the parts," Paillafil explained. The wood is carved with gouges. "During this stage, there is a dialogue with what I'm building and I convey my energy to it," he said.
The creations will be exhibited in the exhibition hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the craftsman was pleased that Mapuche culture would be recognized, noting that he only considered himself to be a facilitator for the process. "The idea is that people can get to know their origins," he remarked.
The master craftsman, Antonio Paillafil, started building these figures when he was ten years old. He has built more than three thousand similar pieces to that which he gave the Minister. His work is on display in several museums and different places around the world like Ecuador, France, New York and Venice.