Mayan Artist

Benedicto Ixtamer is a self-taught Mayan artist from the highlands of Guatemala. His Mayan art has been displayed in both Guatemala and the U.S., and his mural style often compared to Diego Rivera.

Benedicto's home is in San Juan La Laguna which is on the shores of Lake Atitlan in the volcanic Guatemalan highlands. This stunning lake is surrounded by lush and green slopes. His family is in the coffee business, and San Juan Laguna is renowned for its high-quality coffee. In addition to his talents as an artist and coffee farmer, Benedicto is also the director of a Spanish school in his home town. He has displayed his work at a variety of U.S. venues from 2004 to 2015.

From an early age, Benedicto discovered his talent drawing on cardboard and school notebooks. Years later, he was given three oil colors and one brush as a gift from his father, and with those he developed his abilities. He and his 3 brothers grew up in the coffee fields and raising vegetables, but after that work in the fields they would pick flowers, leaves and bark to produce  naturals dyes for the textiles of his mother. Today, his mother is still weaving and Benedicto often produces his paintings on the textiles she creates. 

Benedicto believes all of these experiences helped him to get in touch with traditional Mayan art. Also, he believes that his Mayan birth day of Kawoq represents art and creating community. Today he paints in different styles using primitive images, birds, overhead and fish-eye view of images that represent his everyday life in San Juan La Laguna, Lake Atitlán.

Because Benedicto and his wife Maria are deeply involved in their community and share their gifts with those in need, the sale of one of these pieces of art automatically supports a child, woman, elder or someone in need in the beautiful town of San Juan La Laguna. As a buyer, you become part of the story and life of a whole community.

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