On the road leading to Sint Joris Baai, east of Willemstad, a colorful sign marks the entrance to Serena's Art Factory, right next to the ostrich farm. This is where artist Serena Israel has been shaping Chichis for years - those round, vividly colored female figures that have become emblematic of Curaçao craftsmanship. In Papiamentu, Chichi means big sister, the one who holds the family together, responsible and full of life.

In the garden leading to the shop, giant statues stand alongside a small menagerie of farmyard animals, before you reach the workshop itself. The figurines are first molded, then handed over to local women trained in painting, who each give them a unique style at home before bringing them back to the workshop for final inspection. Each Chichi carries the signature of the woman who painted it.

Those who want to go further can sit at the tables in the garden and paint their own Chichi - a Curaçao painting workshop that takes place in small groups, with brushes, acrylic paint, and an explanation of the house's history. You choose the size of your statue, listen, paint, and leave with your own creation, carefully packed for the trip home.

What stays with you most is the moment you realize you're not just making a souvenir, but taking part, for one morning, in a tradition carried for years by the hands of the island's women.