From Suchitoto I headed further west and north to reach La Palma, right up near the Hondurian border. This small town is renowned for its artesanía and murals that are all done in a very specific style brought to the town by Fernando Llort (a very famous artist in El Salvador) in the 1970s.
This artistic style is often described as “naive” (ie childlike) with influences of Cubism. It is geometrical and 2-dimensional and characterised by bold colours. Its primary themes are of nature, everyday life or religion and it has essentially become the artistic style that is most recognised and synonymous with El Salvador.
La Palma an amazing little town to walk around – as every second building has a mural painted on it. Here are some of my favourites.
Even the hotel I stayed in – Hotel La Palma – is positively covered in murals, including inside the room!
These days, 3/4 of the population are involved in producing artesanía with this style of artwork – either on pine wood (boxes, crosses) or seeds from the Copinol tree. And although you can buy it anywhere in El Salvador, much of it is made in this small town.
