Santiago Uyaguari

My visit to Santiago Uyaguari goes back to march 2019. San Bartolomé is located around 30 km from Cuenca, Ecuador. Santiago Uyaguari, who acquired his skills from his father and uncles, crafts guitars, mandolins, and charangos—a 10-string instrument resembling a mandolin that features an armadillo shell for its body. Similar to many local artisans, his workshop is cluttered with wood, molds, and tools, while the walls are adorned with instruments at different stages of production.

Photos: Fuji XT3