Mauro Habacuc Avendaño Luis

artisan

Mauro Habacuc Avendaño Luis, known as Habacuc, is an 81-year-old member of the Mixtec Indigenous community in Mexico, celebrated for his mastery of the ancient art of extracting dye from the purpura snail. Having learned the craft at the age of 14, he has dedicated over six decades to preserving this dying tradition, which involves milking snails along the Pacific coast to produce a rare purple dye known as tixinda. Despite the decline of snail populations and the challenges posed by modern development and poaching, Habacuc remains committed to maintaining his cultural heritage and educating others about the importance of the purpura snail to his community.

Born on Jan 01, 1942 (83 years old)