The artist, Dante Lopez, is a native of northern Mexico. After ten years carving, Dante is considered, if not the best, one of the best in Cancun, He has participated in an important world wide contest: “31st German Award for jewelry and Precious Stones Idar-Oberstein 2000.” His entry did not win a prize but was considered by the judges as especial and it is being exhibited with the winners; this was his very first experience in a contest, and he was invited to participate again the next year.

His work is no longer classified as an art craft, but as “art pieces”; he creates unique pieces of his own inspiration on any kind of materials: marble, hard woods, bone, semi precious and precious stones, metals, shells, amber, etc. He has made many custom designs but prefers nature, fantastic and prehispanic topics. His approximate 15,000 items done during these 10 years have gone to many countries like USA, Canada, Italy, Germany, England, Argentina, France and Austria. Dante started carving at the age of eighteen.

Before this he worked with paper maché, but had recognized his creative ability at five, when he modeled with clay and began drawing. Never has he received any professional instruction, and his parents didn’t encourage his artistic capabilities; they thought he was wasting his time. He withdrew from high school in his last year and started working paper maché and selling pieces from a little booth downtown. Here is where he met a man that carved in bone. Dante concluded that there is still a lot more to be done with that material and he could carve it much better, so he invested all his money in a machine and used the bone his dog had as his first carving. After learning and perfecting his technique with bone he has continued with harder materials and is always trying new materials, perfecting his techniques, and looking for better tools and more challenges for his creativity.