Biography of Hugo Ormachea

Hugo Ormachea was born in the Andean city of Cusco, capital of the vast Inca Empire before the arrival of the conquistadors. He is the son of Donato Ormachea, a well-known jeweler in Cusco, and represents the third generation of his family to become a jeweler.

Hugo is self taught and in fact, had to overcome objections from his father who wanted his son to be an architect. Hugo, however, considers that he was born to be a jeweler, demonstrating an artistic inclination since childhood.

Hugo did study architecture at the University of San Antonio Abad del Cusco for four years which has served him well in the elaboration of his own style and technique. An interesting note is that Hugo was obligated to both invent and manufacture many of his own tools, Peru being a poor third world country with very limited access to the advanced technology available in the United States. Since setting up his studio in Ventura, California, Hugo continues to work in the same way disdaining the "easy" options of pre-fabricated settings and molds.

In his own personal style Hugo continues to develop and refine his own work drawing on the rich culture of his ancestors, the Incas, worshippers of the sun and all things natural.