Dayra Benavides

Casa Carnaval

Mask maker

©Carlos Benavides Díaz

©Zico Rodríguez

©Carlos Benavides Díaz

Mystical revelations at the carnival

Dayra makes costumes and masks for carnivals and for rock bands in Colombia
She started out by using her mother’s scrap fabric to accessorise
Her costumes are made with several traditional crafts from Nariño province

As a multi-year winner of the Blacks and Whites Carnival individual costume contest since 2015, Dayra Benavides has become a disruptive force in Pasto’s traditional annual event. Through rich and creative designs comprised of dresses and masks inspired by dance, Dayra has contributed her mysticism to the Carnival and made a homage to the local crafts and collective imagery of her people. While living in Bogotá as a successful visual artist, Dayra reconnected with her roots and inherited skills. Her mother, a dancer and carnival craftswoman, and her father, a mopa mopa varnish artisan-turned photographer, paved the way for Dayra into the world of the carnival. Dayra crosses cultural, spiritual, and even gender thresholds in her costume designs and dances, winning her admiration, both locally and abroad.

Interview

©Carlos Benavides Díaz

©Carlos Benavides Díaz

What is so innovative and disruptive about your craft?: I synthesised all my knowledge and experience of Nariño’s intangible cultural heritage, fusing pre-Columbian and colonial imagery, mythical characters, and our most traditional craftsmanship in the rather male-dominated occupation of carnival costume making and exhibition.
How is family a major source of inspiration for you?: It is the DNA of Casa Carnaval, our home and workshop. It has been the legacy of my parents, who transmitted their own creative skills and their relationship with traditional craft to me. My sisters and nephew contribute through their own know-how and complementary experiences.
What was a memorable moment for you as a carnival artisan?: The first year I participated in the individual costume category for the carnival. I danced for nine hours as I paraded for 9 km wearing a 12 kg costume. There was a moment I no longer felt the asphalt beneath my feet, totally immersed in my character as if in a state of trance.
How do you ensure the transmission of your craft?: Firstly, through my nephew, our only apprentice, who is now studying digital art. I visit communities and schools of Nariño to spread my knowledge about our cultural heritage and carnival tradition through the art of mask making. My mother does the storytelling.

Dayra Benavides is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2002 and she started teaching in 2025