Rafael Casco, of Pigeon Forge, is a painter and woodcarver. Originally from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Rafael attended the National School of Fine Arts in Honduras and studied psychology at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. As a studio painter, Rafael works in a Latin American surrealistic style. However, his identity and practice as an artist has always spanned traditional craft, primitive-style painting, and fine arts painting. He learned the traditional art of Honduran wood relief carving and painting through observing and studying artists in his home country. For many generations, woodcarving has been a specialized tradition in Honduras, especially around the town of Valle de Angeles, near Rafael’s hometown of Tegucigalpa. The carvings, often including furniture pieces, are known for deep relief depictions of street scenes, flowers, historical images, and animals. Artists make tables, trunks, mirror frames, and plaques of all sizes. The wood is from the native cedar tree. Some objects take a week to complete.
As part of the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program this year, Rafael will be teaching his daughter and apprentice Cielo Hernandez the Honduran folk styles of painting and carving. For Casco and Hernandez, these practices have deep meaning. “I created such art to survive first when I was a child living in rural areas of Honduras,” Rafael says. “Then I did it more with the purpose of teaching how to preserve the primitive styles, and to preserve the style of those living differently when people did not have other choices or opportunities to go to school. Also I did such art as a living for my family in my country before coming to the USA. So I have been doing this for the last 25 years between here in the USA and also in Honduras. Today I continue to make primitive style paintings, relief carvings, and carved furniture.”
A talented artist since childhood, Cielo plans to strengthen her skills and understanding of her Honduran artistic heritage. “I hope to learn all the process of primitve landscape painting and craft that represent some of the traditional art from Honduras, that my dad did there and here in East Tennessee. I would love to continue doing and learning more from my dad to continue the traditions and reinforce this beautiful art form that represents part of my childhood and the country where I was born. My dad has been doing this since we lived in Honduras to support our family. He created and sold such art work all around southern Honduras. When he came to Tennessee, he also did it here as a support for us and also to preserve traditions from our country. I believe it is important to preserve our culture and traditions and pass it on to my kids.”
*This team is funded through a special partnership with the South Arts’ initiative In These Mountains: Central Appalachian Folk Art & Culture.
