// Welcome to the Bona Fide collection of Nicaraguan Primavista Art and Ceramics.
To support ongoing Bona Fide change for rural Nicaraguan communities and for purchase information please call us at:
301.695.5766 or via e-mail, michael@projectbonafide.com.

Nicaraguan Primavista Art

The Nicaraguan Primitivista painting movement originated in a community of artists founded in the 1970's on the islands of Solentiname in Lake Nicaragua. The community was based on the principles of liberation theology and sponsored workshops in popular poetry, theater, music and painting. The painting workshops gave birth to the Primitivista Painting Movement, a school influenced by the Haitian painting renaissance of the late 40's and 50's. The paintings were typified by idealized scenes of community life, lush natural environments and pastoral utopias, executed in bright colors and intricate detail.

The Bona Fide Arte collection here represents the work of the Pavon family of Masaya. Masaya is the birth place and center for many of Nicaragua's colorful arts and crafts. Carlos Mesa is the uncle and teacher of Alex, Yasir and German Pavon. Together their work captures the essence of Nicaragua's beautiful cultural and natural heritage. All paintings are oil on canvas, stretched on wooden frames. Purchasing one of these paintings will brighten any space and support ongoing bona fide change for rural Nicaraguan communities.

Nicaraguan ceramics

Our collection of pottery has been carefully selected and handcrafted by artisans from the village of San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua, a village with a long history of pottery making. All of the vases are hand-thrown, etched, colored with mineral oxides, and then fired in a brick kiln. It is an exhaustive process, but one that yields some of the world's most magnificent and collectible pottery.

The designs range in style, size and shape. Melding age old pottery techniques with contemporary sculpting of lines in bold patterns and colorful arrays of contemporary, Pre-Columbian, floral and nature designs are represented in pieces ranging in size from 2" to 3' in every organic shape imaginable.

Meticulously crafted these pieces stand out in any setting. A purchase with a purpose makes these ceramics an opportunity to improve our world.

* The pottery is not water tight, but most pieces can be fitted with commercially available plastic liners for use with live flowers. Mineral oxides are used for the colors and are lead free.