Oventic

Amantenago Clay Village

Amazing giant clay jaguar head




rows of artisans selling streetside




one mishappen little rabbit pot

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Zapatista Women's Coop

Here are a few quick shots of some scarves made by the coop
(modeled by the women that made them) which will be used to make some furniture pieces out of...




Antonia from Chamula



and a Zapatista friend from San Andres



The coop at night

Micaela y Maria

video coming soon

Rosa Gomez/Weaving Teacher and Her Family

 

As mentioned in the "Collaborators 1" post, Rosa's family in Zinacantan are very skilled weavers and makers of beautiful hand woven wares. Here are some shots of their work and shop, Artesanias Alcatraz.

One of the most rewarding parts of this whole experience has been getting to know families intimately and becoming a part of their everyday lives. We visit Rosa for our weaving classes everyday and spend 2-4 hours with her and her daughters. We are now to the point where not only are we learing new skills daily, we are learning about lots about each others' customs, traditions, regions and food. We are equally as curious about each other and spend hours sharing stories and asking each other questions. They have never been outside of a couple mile radius, so having us there has also been an exciting part of their lives. They have grown to trust us and we have even been able to talk to her about and help  with health issues. Rosa and Belinda have been trading recipes, and Rosa has taught her how to make Mayan tortillas, how to roast coffee. Belinda made an asian stir-fry to show Rosa how to make fried rice and introduce her to different spices. Our interaction with this family has been worth the whole trip. We expected to learn crafts, but are coming away with much more.

Clases with Rosa 2

 

Here is a little video of Rosa preparing twigs to make our warp tie-up sticks.

We are having some issues with our internet connection, but will be posting videos of the full process of backstrap weaving as soon as we are able to upload them!

On the road

 

Some quick shots, mostly from the car, of the Chiapan countryside...