We met Melvin at the eighth Spheres Festival in Palmar Sur. He is the Don Ismael’s son, the master of the Borucan masks. We introduced him in a previous edition.
When he was only seven years old, he participated in his father’s workshops. He learned about the Boruca mythology, traditions, and legends of the water spirit called Discujcrá, as well, as how to carve the wood to make the masks the men of the village use wear during the famous dance of the devils. He speaks a little Brúnkajk, the language of his ancestors. For years, he was part of the committee organizing the festivities in support of Don Nicanor Lazaro, the Major Devil. In 2002, he began painting, with absolute dedication. “Through my paintings, I express my feelings, restoring dignity and trust to my people. I am proud to be from Boruca” he says. Boruca, before the colonization, included tribes such as Osa, Coto, Changrúa Corredores, Turucacas, and Quepos governing the vast area of the Osa Peninsula. Today, the approximately 2000 members of the Indigenous community live on a reservation in the southeastern province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
We asked Melvin about the importance of the spheres for Boruca. “In our language a lot of information is hidden. There is a mountain called Cjac Kansot, it’s meaning in Brúnkajk is to make stones. There were findings of sphere’s workshops. Many of the enigmatic spheres are dated back several thousand years.”
Melvin is representing the glory days of his people in his paintings of great depth and intense colors. “I want people to know our past and become more aware of the need to take care of nature.”
