Artist Rogelio Zavala started his new life in Avondale to work on mushroom farm. He arrived in 1985 via Mexico City to find more opportunities and send money back home to his wife, Laura and their four daughters, writes Emma Restrepo for The Philadelphia Inquirer.  

Later, he moved to Wilmington, where he found his second home. He’s been living there for 37 years and continues his art to this day. His creations are made from the traditional craft of alambrismo, which uses wire roping.  

From jewelry to tabletop art, Zavala has been refining his craft since living in Mexico as means to make money for his family. For over a decade he would go back and forth between Wilmington and Mexico to see his family, but in 2007 the family slowly reunited. 

Now all four of his daughters live in the area and have artistic talents of their own. His eldest daughter, Laura, made pinatas sold on Amazon and eventually combined it with a T-shirt embroidery business. 

Mariana and Andrea design mandalas for therapists and Julieta, whose work includes up-cycled materials, has become one of the leading Latina fashion designers in the area.  

Read more about the talented Wilmington family and their father’s alambrismo creations in The Philadelpia Inquirer.