Why is Myanmar difficult terrain for artisans? Plastic upcycling genius Peter Pau Son, founder of Shin Thant Plastics, and Ulla Kroeber, co-founder and lead designer at Hla Day, a crafts and design organisation in Yangon, helps us understand the challenges of doing business in Myanmar.
Lao textiles are rich in symbols and motifs. Some motifs represent animals borrowed from legends and stories. One famous character in Lao textiles is the siho, which is part lion and part elephant. Follow us into the jungle of MandaLao Elephant Conservation and learn more about elephants in real life and textiles.
Palestinian embroidery is a traditional craft dating back centuries. Traditionally used on garments and pillows for the home, this embroidery is rich with motifs and stories of Palestinian culture, nature and village life. Kissweh, a craft enterprise focusing on these embroidery techniques, provides income opportunities for women living in Palestinian refugee camps inside Lebanon.
Explore the pottery tradition of Oaxaca, Mexico with Kitzia Barrera, co-founder of Innovando la Tradición and Colectivo 1050 Grados. An industrial designer by training, Kitzia decided to work with indigenous artisans in an effort to merge traditional and modern design principles. Through social and participatory design, Kitzia and indigenous communities are working together to revitalise the practice and economy of pottery.
Filmmaker and author Dawa Drolma introduces us to the Khyenle Arts Center where her father and brother are the sixth and seventh generation master of “khyenle”, a method for making lama bronze statues. Based in Dzongsar, an artisan in Tibet’s cultural heartland, Dawa Drolma and her family are working alongside their artisan neighbors to fortify their community economically and spiritually.
The Moroccan carpet is iconic. It has grown exponentially, but Berber communities and the women who weave these gorgeous carpets have not necessarily benefited. Nina Mohammad-Galbert, founder of Artisan Project, explains this imbalance and discusses the importance of ethical sourcing and buying.
Bibi Hanum founder Muhayo Aliyeva takes us on a journey on the Silk Road, illuminating the rich history of “adras” or Uzbeki ikat and the importance of empowering women in her country.
Bookhou Studio co-founder Arounna Khounnaraj is credited with making crafting cool, fun and accessible, and she’s got legions of fans around the world! An enthusiastic advocate of all things handmade, Arounna Khounnaraj is happiest when she is making, teaching workshops and composing beautifully written and photographed books on crafting and mending.
Kavita Parmar, founder and creative director of I OWE YOU Project, discusses the need for a new design ecosystem. And, she shares her love affair with the Madras check and her vision for how each of us must “be the change”.
Weaver, designer, textile innovator Ploenchanh “Mook” Vinyaratn uses traditional handlooms and needlework to create modern, multi-dimensional textiles for handbags under her label MookV. She shares her process, the challenges in the marketplace and her relentless passion and optimism for artisan textiles.
For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to try my hand at weaving. Having watched weavers at their looms many times, the process always seems shrouded in mystery, and also rather magical!
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