Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru Artisan work you do not want to miss
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Lima Declaration, which established the Pacific Alliance, the diplomatic missions of the four member countries in the United States are pleased to present: “The Power of Women’s Hands: An alliance that works”, a series of workshops with artisan and designers from Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru.
In each workshop audiences will have the opportunity to learn about the artisan and her art, and then through basic stages to create some of the art work they will show. four amazing events that you do not want to miss.
You can check some of the art work in a virtual exhibit on the website of the Instituto Cultural de México and discover the expressions, richness and artistic diversity of crafts from these four countries.
THE WORKSHOPS
Colombia delights us with the Patchwork tradition of the San Andrés Archipelago and the work of Gretha Huffington.
The history of Patchwork is intertwined with the Puritan settlers that came to the archipelago. Initially patches were a common way to intervene and repair damaged garments.
Over time, this tradition became an opportunity to transmit knowledge from one generation to another, and a space to reinforce the bond between grandmother, mother and daughter.
Chile presents horsehair weaving known as “Crin”, a tradition of more than two hundred years, which is worked in the city of Rari, 310 kilometers from Santiago.
Rari comes from the Mapuche language "raren", which means wild bush, where they work the mane, the art of weaving horsehair. Guadalupe Sepúlveda (68), artisan from Rari and member of the Network of Artisans and Artisans of Crafts of Chile since 2010, when referring to this art, points out that it is “to honor and keep alive the memory of my family. Because artisans are not made, they are born, from generation to generation. My grandmother taught my mother to weave pure root. And my mother taught me to weave vegetable fiber combined with horsehair”.
Mexico presents the tenango, a style of embroidery originating in the municipality of Tenango de Doria, in the state of Hidalgo.
Peru exhibits embroidery from the Colca Valley-Arequipa -Peruvian Andean territory, located between 2,300 and 4,200 meters above sea level-, using the machine embroidery technique, known as "maquinasqa".
The iconography in its fabrics, using alpaca fiber, is evidence of the richness and color of the Andean world, using a unique weaving technique in the region. Mr. Donato Ventura, President of the Association of Embroiderers of the Colca-Arequipa Valley, along with his artisans and artisans have more than 24 years of experience embroidering with the "maquinasqa" technique. The renowned Peruvian fashion designer José Miguel Valdivia participates in the exhibition, inspired by the embroidery of the Colca Valley to create haute couture designs, showing Peru on the main catwalks of the world.
The events will showcase the art work and quality of the products from artists and craftswomen from the four countries, their relationship with the alliance and with their culture.
The workshops are done in collaboration of the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum.
Agenda
July 31: Colombia´s Workshop: Learn to do Patchwork with Gretha Huffington from San Andres, Colombia.
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August 28: Mexico´s Workshop.
September 25: Chile´s Workshop: The wonderful miniature world of Crin.
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