El FIF abre una ventana a la memoria de la carpintería tradicional de Ingenio

The “Trades Corner” brings together testimonies from the last master carpenters of Ingenio to celebrate a craft that accompanied the lives of generations of Gran Canaria families. There are stories that were never written down. They remain etched in the grain of a board, in the mark of a chisel, or in the sound of a plane gliding over a plank. For centuries, carpentry was one of the trades that shaped Ingenio. Carpenters built mill wheels, erected looms, crafted doors, windows, and furniture, and accompanied families from cradle to grave. With the aim of preserving this collective memory, the 31st Villa de Ingenio International Folklore Festival inaugurated the “Trades Corner: Traditional Carpentry,” a space dedicated to those who made wood a way of life and an essential part of the municipality's ethnographic heritage. The head of the Ethnographic Development and Cultural Heritage department, Catalina Sánchez Ramírez, explained that this tribute was "a debt owed" to one of the trades that best represents the history of Ingenio. Although the municipality has traditionally been recognized for the legacy of its sugar mills and the art of drawn thread work, carpentry also played a fundamental role in the town's economic and social development. "We wanted to recognize those men who, with their hands, built a good part of Ingenio's material heritage and whose work deserves to be remembered by new generations," she noted. The director of the FIF (International Carpentry Festival), David Castellano, emphasized that carpentry was much more than a trade. "It was a meeting point for the residents and an essential part of the town's identity. In the workshops, not only were furniture made; knowledge, experiences, and a way of understanding life were also passed down." The exhibition brings together traditional tools and pieces, as well as the voices of some of the last carpenters who keep the trade alive. Through his memories, the visitor discovers what a profession was like where patience, knowledge of wood, and craftsmanship set the pace of each day. Manuel Almeida, 82, arrived in Ingenio from Moya in 1979. He recalls that at the age of 10, he alternated between a machine shop and a carpentry workshop, learning the trade out of his own volition. In those years, he explains, making a bedroom set was a handcrafted process that required weeks of work. "The entire bedroom set was made: the wardrobe, the bed, the dresser, the two nightstands, the chairs... There was a catalog, and each family chose the model they wanted for their wedding. Carved furniture could cost between 10,000 and 12,000 pesetas, a lifetime investment." With the wisdom of years of experience, Manuel acknowledges that the trade has changed so much that he once advised his grandson to do anything but carpentry, a sentiment that encapsulates the difficult generational transition in a craft that was essential for decades but now struggles to survive. Simeón Santana, 92, began working at 14 with his brother, a master woodcarver in Ingenio. Among his first projects, he recalls making small jewelry boxes that “young men gave to their sweethearts,” pieces where the wood also spoke of affection. Jesús Pérez Romero, son of carpenter Agustín Pérez Quintana, has dedicated more than five decades to the trade. His testimony reflects the transformation the profession has undergone. “Before, everything was a saw, plane, and sandpaper. Today, almost everything is done by machines.” For him, the problem isn't just technology, but the change in consumer habits. “Nobody pays anymore for the work that goes into a piece of furniture made entirely by hand.” Competition from industrial manufacturing and large retail chains has led to the closure of most traditional workshops. There is barely one carpenter left in Ingenio dedicated to this craft. Pérez finds a reason for hope: the restoration of traditional houses and the preservation of the historic center necessitate the recovery of doors and wooden elements that form part of the town's architectural heritage. At 77, Sebastián Viera Martín recalls that carpenters were easily recognizable because many had lost a finger in the workshop and because, he jokes, "they were liars, they never met the deadline." Behind the anecdote lay a stark reality: each piece required time and labor that could not be rushed. Beyond nostalgia, the "Corner of Trades" invites reflection on the value of a craft where each piece of furniture was unique, designed to last for decades and accompany a family throughout their lives. In contrast to the culture of immediacy, the exhibition, which can be visited in the town hall hall, champions patience, knowledge passed down from generation to generation, and respect for a heritage that is part of Ingenio's identity.