Artisan Juliana Secundino Vargas wins national textile award

Artisan Juliana Secundino Vargas, from Naupan in the Sierra Norte of Puebla, has been awarded the ‘Premio Único’ in the Textiles category at the XIII National Contest of Great Masters of Mexico's Artisanal Heritage 2026. The ceremony took place at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.

Her winning piece, titled ‘Huipil de la Virgen’, is crafted from Italian linen using traditional embroidery, the ‘pepenado’ technique, and negative basting. The work features rich iconography, including ducks, deer, herons, horses, birds, flowers, roosters, plantains, and pineapples, reflecting the cultural and symbolic heritage of her community.

Secundino Vargas is also a bearer of knowledge related to Nawatlahtolli, the Nahuatl language. The award ceremony was led by Sonya Santos Garza, director of the National Fund for the Promotion of Handicrafts (Fonart), and attended by Puebla's Undersecretary of Culture, Emilio Herrera Corichi.