Artisans

There are 14 artisans.

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  Arhuacos

  Indigenous communities suffer from displacement, violence, poverty and discrimination. They are the owners of incredible knowledge and culture, and have brought up to todays their wisdom. Supporting them is a step in the right direction for us to understand the world better by following their examples and focus on the really importance and mission on live that is given to each one of us.

  For them the chance to keep connected to their cultural identity and traditions, to survive from their work, to improve their quality of life and to be proud to be who they are.

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  Carolina

  Carolina is a young Colombian who with a group of women heads of family founded a business back in 2002. They are in the city Bogota, the capital of Colombia. They manufacture accessories and Jewellery in Egiptyan Technique perforated card looms.

  This is an ancient and very complex technique.The wider bracelets can use more than 230 threads just in one, the only way to get thet level of details on them.

  With her vast textil experience Carolina has worked with many different materials mixing the threads work with leather, sterling silver,horn and fabric.

  All the weavers are women of poor backgrouds or in charge of their families. They work from their homes, where they can take care of their kids, and saving the cost of transport and expenses in food throught the working day.

  Carolina aims to expand the size of the Project so more women specially mothers head of families could be benefited from it.

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  Guerlys Padilla, Zenú Indigenous

  Guerlys is an amazing artisan and musician. By all means a true artist. Despite that, when we met him for first time in Tuchin, Department of Cordoba in North Colombia he was surrounded by striking poverty and not much hopes. Young and talented Indigenous Zenu, father of 3 kids and living at his parents little house. He is a master of braiding canaflecha, the Zenu traditional technique. His handbags and accessories are ones of a kind. High and fine quality weaving, circular and oval shaped, and gracious mixture of earthy colours. He depends on his handicrafts, hand work to survive, otherwise he has to work in agriculture and whatever is handy to get his daily bread. His connexion with Koguis definitely gives hope back to him and his family plus make us very happy to have an artisan like him. We hope to grow enough to keep him busy for him to achieve a better quality of life.

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  Julian

  Julian masters the work with Tagua nut, dry flowers, carved bamboo, glass, wood within others.

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  Kunas Indigenous

  Molas are the result of intricate hand stitched work done by the Kuna Indigenous women. They learnt this divine art from Kayabai the Great Goddess. They wear them in the front and back of their blouses.Each one is created in a particular way that makes the mola unique and unrepeatable.

  Kuna women dress in molas all their lives and with them are buried. As they pass through different stages in their lives (when they achieve important facts within their society), the women alter the structure and theme of their molas. The more complex the mola is the more skilled and experienced the woman is.

  Prior to be created in cloth the mola designs were originally tattooed or painted on the body. This art technique was then transferred to fabric. Molas represent the cosmogonic thought. This is a graphic representation of the world full with colours, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures of this Indigenous culture. The vibrant and exotic geometric designs show mythological scenes, the creation of the world as flora, fauna from the surroundings where they live, the tropic.

  One of the mola's most significant elements is the duality (two faces). This is very important for many Amerindian societies. For them each one of us have a Purba which can be interpreted as a double, hidden essence or soul. Human beings, animals, plants, objects, etc all have a Purba.

  Within the word mola there are several facets. These aspects are related to certain stylistic elements from their oral literature. The ritual songs of the Kunas Indigenous are organised in stanzas that repeat with slightly modified words or themes with each repetition. It a subtle game established between the magic of the rythm and the pleasure of variety. The same occurs in the molas. The two faces of the fabric can change the principal motif through the colour or the background. Knowing this allows the molas to be appreciated on a deeper level than simply the obvious beauty.

  Kuna women rely on their mola work to survive. By buying this product you are directly supporting Indigenous communities in Colombia and Panama.

  For Indigenous people to keep connected to their culture roots is part of identity as live is important to them.

  All molas are individually done, that's why we can't stock same mola pattern in different styles and sizes. Molas are traded through a cooperative of Indigenous Kuna with the artisans in the city. They elaborate shoes,boots and accessories with the random mola designs they get from them. Please note this very important fact before your purchase.

   

   

   

   

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  Maria Banda Zenu Indigenous

  Maria is a talented young Indigenous Zenú. She live in Tuchin Cordoba, land of the Resguardo Zenu. She is a single mother and looks after her mother. She has learnt from her aunty Salvadora , a Master weaver of Arrow-cane (caña flecha) the art of braiding cayne and who by the time we are developing this website has passed away. Our respects to her who was an exponent of the Zenu culture to the world, artisan of high respect within her society. This work is an icon of the Colombian culture. It comes from the Savannahs of Cordoba and Sucre Departments in North Colombia, called The Sinú Valley. The fibres of the cayne are transformed in black and white fibres that are braided by a technique that dates back more than one thousand years make outstanding crafts.The different braids represent elements of their theory of origin and evolution of the universe. The clearest example of this work is the Sombrero Vueltiao, the turned hat, Colombian National hat, designed back more than three hundred years ago. Maria is a master of weaving accessories from the cane, of top quality. Her contact with Koguis has established a very good relationship and a source of income that allows her, her family and group of Indigenous women who work with her to survive from their work while connected culturally to their Zenu's incredible  heritage.

   

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  Maria Patricia

  Maria specialises in textile and manual looms work. She supports the work of more women within her community. See more info in the artisans section

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  Otavalo The Andes artisans

  The history of the hat made in the Andes is fascinating. Indigenas in many parts of Peru inhabit La Sierra or the mountain region, the Andes. The hat was brought by europeans to the indigenous lands in Southamerica but also Indigenous people in South America have a long history of protecting their heads against the cold weather with hats.

  This hats have been completed adapted to their environment so initially made with european's techniques is a timeless accesory that has survived for centuries and up to today is part of the Indigenous of Otavalo typical's attire.

   Hand made by indigenous families of Otavalo and descendants of the same ethnicity, this hats are of incredible high quality and standards.

   

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  Raquira Artisans

  The town of Raquira in Boyaca' Departament in the Andenean Colombia is renowed for its beautiful pottery

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