Manuel Solano Rodríguez began his journey with gold thread embroidery in 1992, working in the embroidery workshop of the Hermandad del Calvario in Morón de la Frontera. Along with his friends, he decided to create a set of ceremonial garments out of devotion, wishing to enhance the heritage of a newly re-established brotherhood. It was in this amateur workshop that Manuel discovered his true calling for gold thread embroidery. Although largely self-taught he trained under master embroiderer Isabel Melero, who taught him basic embroidery stitches in 1995. Through books and visits to exhibitions, Manuel successfully created commissioned pieces.
Manual Solano Rodríguez team of artisans contribute both to the preservation of textile embroidery heritage and the creation of new works in a craft that dates back to the era of Al-Andalus. “We owe the heritage we have today to artisans and workshops that passed down the craft, generation after generation. This is how the essence of a completely manual craft, in which new technologies scarcely feature, is preserved. This craft survives thanks to the brotherhoods that encourage the creation of rich ceremonial attire for their images and processional floats,” says Manuel.
Manuel Solano Rodríguez
