Applying color to the handcrafts implies to have knowledge about the plants that are native to their origin region, ‘El Chocó’, Colombia, because they get some natural colors from those plants to tincture the fiber.
Because of different reasons and motivations, some indigenous had had to move to Bogotá (The capital city of Colombia), where nowadays they are the ´Warkhi´ group.
Being in a big city has changed dramatically their environment. Even though, the ‘Warkhi’ still teach their knowledge to the new generations, keep their traditions, and continue weaving the ‘werregue’, with the difference that they have integrated new colors derived from some synthetic products and they have included new symbols related to the city, which is their new environment.
Thus, through color, they tell the memories of ‘Chocó’ and the appropriation of the city.
Let’s talk about the most representative:
‘Shibau’, white in their native language. In this case it is like an ivory color, the natural color of the fiber that represents the fog that comes early morning. They connect this color with peace and purity.
‘Shiphush’, means black. This color is obtained by dyeing the ‘werregue’ fiber with the leaf of a plant called ‘pushama’. Then, they bury the fiber in the mud for several days. The black represents the new moon, and that is the day when they can cut the plants’ roots to cultivate, and when they cut their hair.
The red, in their language ‘Shiphur’, represents the Summer flower, which is the flower of one of the most important rivers in their region, the ‘San Juan’ river, and this color is linked with life and passion.
The pallet of colors and what they communicate continue. And one of the main reasons why they have included all kind of blues, yellows, oranges, greens, etc., is because the vibrant colors are all linked to the nature, and the magic of the summer, when the trees are full of flowers and fruits, and the birds are all over the place eating.
This is what I most like of their creations, the passion and connection they have with the nature, and how they put all those good vibes, and their symbolism knowledge in the products they make.
I hope you guys enjoyed this lecture, do not forget to leave me your comments here!
*‘El Chocó’, department of Colombia, located in the west of the country with a wide coastline on the Pacific Ocean, and with its northern border on the Atlantic Ocean.
]]>When I started thinking about JuaJua, I reached out the most traditional family, that are still making these traditional bags in Jericó, Antioquia, where this traditional "guarniel" is from.
They are the Agudelo family. They have worked with leather for more than 60 years, preserving thru three generations this beautiful and essential piece for coffee growers, muleteers and peasants.
And yes, we are talking about men, these bags have been traditionally worn by men; muleteers to carry all what is necessary during their days in the mountains. And here is where its other name, "carrieles" comes from. Apparently the foreign people who settled in the region called them "carryall", and the locals figured this new word out, "carriel".
Nowadays the Agudelo family has a store called 'Carrielarte', where they sell not only traditional "guarnieles", they have created new designs of this "guarniel", modern styles but, preserving their traditional characteristics, and also wallets, backpacks, and much more.
This stunning and unique piece is not only history, it's a must-have fashion accessory that nowadays women and men wear in Colombia.
If you like this little piece of history, like, share and leave your comments here.
]]>In one of my previews blogs, I talk you about the meaning of some of the symbols on these bracelets that the Wounaan make. Here I am going to resume them briefly and complement with some others.
“Montaña” (The Mountain), it means nature, and family, this is the spirit that keeps them together.
“Piel de serpiente” (Snakeskin), those rhombuses represent strength.
My favorite one, “Las escaleras” (The Stairs), they represent your goals and dreams, this is very important to have it with you, because we forget that our goal is done already, we do not see it, but it is there, and this is a reminder for that.
“Las olas” (the waves), these waves are life and dynamism that come with the river. For the ‘Wounaan’ the river is fount of life and fertility, this is the spirit that provides prosperity in your live.
“Quinceañeras”: in Latinamerica, we call quinceañeras to the girls that are becoming 15 years old. This is the youth spirit.
“Cajo Khaa”, the Good Spirit on which they trust the protection. The ‘Wounaan’ places this symbol not only on their accessories, but also on different places in the house, then the “Cajo Khaa” covers their home with his spirit.
Finally, “Las ventanas de la ciudad”, The windows of the city. This is the way they visually express the big cities. As this indigenous group is originally from the mountains, they use this symbol to tell when someone comes from a big city.
Their symbolism is as wide as a language, and these are the few I have with me. I´ll continue learning their worldview and sharing with you as I do it.
]]>My mom and I have been making a hat design with these two beautiful creations. I’ll show you next week the result. But keep readiding to learn more about these colorful creations.
The ‘Gunadule’ women are the protectors of the ‘Molas’, so they can preserve over the time their identity and culture.
The origin of these ‘Molas’ dates from a mythological history that tells that the ‘Neles’, they are the ‘Guanadule’ spiritual leaders, tried to travel to the ‘Galus’ (sacred places that exist in the different layers of the ‘Guanadule’ universe), but the women on charge of protecting the ‘Galus’, did not allow them to enter. Only, a woman called Nagegiryai, was able to enter in the ‘Galus’. " She was the first woman to travel to the other surfaces of the universe and the only one to access the wisdom of the ‘molas’.
During this trip, Nagegiryai visit the ‘Galus’ called “SabbiMolanalamaggale” and “Dugbis”, where she learned the ‘Molas’ language to be taught through songs to the ‘Guanadule’ women. From this moment on, this language has been an ancestral knowledge that is communicated from generation to generation. With the shapes of the nature; the animals and the clouds that change on the sky, they have taught within the community how to dress like mother earth.
]]>To start with me trying to look like a professional model, while I am not even close to that (well I discovered that we are models in so many ways), but anyways I found on Juajua’s project an excuse to try to model hehehehe. I’m a very shy with the camera, it seems like I’m not, but I care so much about what others think and that has always inhibited me.
I launched my website just when the pandemic started, because I wasn’t really confident about my idea before and as I’ve been doing all the activities by myself, I felt on the perfectionism hole, plus a little bit of procrastination too.
With the pandemic and the needed to do be productive, I started to saw face masks, and I found that I could feel confident selling masks rather than “superficial” fashion accessories, which are not really superficial for me, my family and friends know that I find magic on the handmade products, and that I want to impact on the communities that make them, but the origin of all this will make me talk too much, so going back to the photo, there is me trying to be a model, wearing one of the masks I make and on the one bellow, I was just learning, my mom tough me how to use the sawing machine back on march, and here I go, nos I am an expert making masks hehhehehe.
Thank you guys! Keep going with your goals too, and let me know on your comments how this pandemic has change your lives! talk you next week.
]]>The Wounaan, an indigenous community from Colombia, work with this fiber called 'Werregue'. It is their main income resource, they make not only the bracelets and hoops that you see on my website, but also they make other decoration products like lamps, plates and beautiful bowls that I'd like to bring here in the future.
Everything has a meaning, the colors tell stories about their identity and the patterns have a deep symbology denotation.
These are 'the stairs', meaning your goals and dreams, they wear them to remind to their inner being that even if you cannot see it, you have already accomplished those goals.
The rhombuses on the left represent the snakeskin. For the 'Wounaan' the snake is a very dangerous animal, but there is a myth that tells the story of two twins that were born to save the Wounaan from the ferocity of this animal. They died killing this strong snake and that is what the snakeskin means, tenacity and strength.
There are more symbols that I want to talk about, and also the meaning that the different colors have for the 'Wounaan'. For now, I'll finish talking about 'the mountain', this symbol represents the nature, the place where they go to get the food, hunting and fishing, and as they do all these activities together, 'mountain' means the place where they commute together, it symbolizes family and union.
I encourage you to share this story with your friends and to think about the beauty of these accessories the next time you want to give something unique to yourself.
I'll talk you later :-)
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