Visiting the Artisans: The Wounaan Werregue Weavers
Championing artisans and ancestral techniques is at the heart of our mission - our raison d'etre. And perhaps there is no technique worth championing more than - Werregue Weaving. Appreciated by connoisseurs but largely unknown - this ancestral weaving craft is unique in its intricacy and refinement - the weave so tight that these palm-based vessels can hold water.
Read here about the origins and history of this ancestral technique and communities Werregue Weavers.
The wounaan Werregue weavers: A story of displacement
Werregue weaving is an ancestral art practiced by the Wounaan and Emberá people. These indigenous communities hail from El Chocó, a rain forest region on the Colombian Pacific coast. Wedged between Colombia and Panama - the region that has been severely affected by the armed conflict in Colombia, forcibly displacing many of its indigenous people. Displaced from their ancestral lands, a small community of Wounaan currently lives near Bogota. Many maintain their traditional craft, weaving their wares for local fairs and markets. At CasaLatina we have been working closely with this community of Werregue weavers - curating their traditional pieces and collaborating on developing new ideas to use this intricate weaving technique in other products. Puli, CasaLatina’s head of Production in Colombia, recently had the pleasure to meet the Werregue Weavers at their workshop. Here are their stories.
The faces behind the craft: The Wounaan Werregue Weavers
arcenio mora - master werregue weaver and teacher
Arcenio is a master Werregue weaver and a Craft teacher at the Andes University of Bogota. A wonderful Werregue weaver himself, he is known for his good eye and his ability to guide others in creating exceptional weaves and patterns. Arcenio has been working closely with the CasaLatina team, in producing exceptional Werregue pieces for our collection.
escolastico chamarra - werregue weaver
We met Escolastico a few years ago, in the Usiaquen just around the corner from Alex’s house when in town she often spends Sunday mornings rawling through the market stalls. Escolastico is our trusted ‘product designer’ always up for coming up with new ideas and new products - our Werregue napkin rings are his brain child.
fanny ismare - werregue weaver and community leader
A most talented Werregue weaver, Fanny, can always be found with a needle in her hand finishing this or that Werregue piece. She leads a small group of female Werregue weavers in her community, and makes a real point of teaching the next generation not only the craft but the mystic tradition behind this time honoured craft.
Supporting this community of Werregue weavers
At CasaLatina we have established a close collaborative relationship with this community of traditional Werregue Weavers. We are very proud to give this ancestral art and its creators the platform it deserves, celebrating Colombia’s hard working, beautiful, innovative and creative people.
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