Beatriz is a cultural preservationist disguised as a leatherworker. She specializes in deep-relief carving, a meticulous art form where she stamps traditional Andean and Colombian folklore motifs into heavy-grade tooling leather. She fears that mass production is wiping out these historic techniques, so she partners with local community centers to host free evening workshops for at-risk youth, passing down her secrets for free. She is also an avid gardener, filling her courtyard with orchids and medicinal herbs.

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Beatriz lives in a bustling, multi-generational colonial home. She has been happily married to Jorge, a retired carpenter, for 35 years. Their youngest daughter, Camila (named after a cousin), lives with them along with her two young children. Beatriz’s home is constantly filled with noise, laughter, the smell of fresh coffee, and the pounding of her tooling mallets.

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