September 2011
3 posts
August 2011
1 post
July 2011
1 post
el camino de los altos →
June 2011
4 posts
February 2011
7 posts
Watchchip’s super mobiles…
el camino de los altos
since plans for this trip to chiapas first began to take root some months back, one of the aspects i had been most eagerly anticipating was the opportunity to visit + spend time with the ladies from el camino de los altos - an association of 130 mayan weavers working together to preserve their ancestral art and to improve their social + economic conditions.
el camino de los altos is the...
a textile guide to the highlands of chiapas
time spent in chiapas thus far has been phenomenal - due, in no small part, to us having the super opportunity to spend time with the incredibly knowledgable and engaging chip morris. there may truly be no one as learned on - and passionate about - the local textile traditions and their ever-evolving place in the local culture.
chip’s brand new book, a textile guide to the highlands of...
lucha libre retablos in mexico city →
January 2011
4 posts
l'aviva home on nbc's 1st look →
December 2010
2 posts
shyrdak storytelling workshop
something quite magical transpired this week in bishkek, and i am feeling both thrilled and touched to have been a part of it. in partnership with our friend dinara chochunbaeva, we organized and hosted an extended shyrdak pattern + storytelling workshop. for the workshop, we brought artisans and historians from all corners of kyrgyzstan together to engage in two days of activities structured...
chiapas, mexico!!!
soon to come… january/february, 2011
September 2010
3 posts
vintage bolivian blankets (frasadas)
we spent time today with sofia, who invited us to her house in el alto (a city perched atop of la paz) to see (and pillage!) her unbelievable collection of the bolivian blankets, called frasadas, traditionally used by the aymaras to fortify themselves against the andean cold.
sofia’s collection of these entirely handwoven - and increasingly rare - vintage pieces is absolutely remarkable...
bolivia!
this friday, i will be leaving for what is sure to be an altogether too-short visit to bolivia. it’s a trip which i am hugely excited about; i’m looking foward to finding new inspriation in the people, the markets, and the landscapes. while there, we’ll spend time in la paz, visit the floating islands on lake titikaka, and go to santa cruz, sucre, and their surrounding areas. all along the way,...
May 2010
1 post
bride kidnapping in kyrgyzstan
of the many, many conversations we engaged in around the social + political structure of kyrgyzstan during the course of our visit (the majority spurred, of course, by the revolution), none came close to approaching the poignancy of those we had with our new friend nurilya barakanova, who spoke to us at length about the tragic phenomenon of bride-kidnapping - a phenomenon which is shockingly, and ...
April 2010
17 posts
the incredible adventure that is this trip continues… uzbekistan has been unbelievable. hugely compelling, amazing artisans - multiple collaborations taking root (many posts detailing all in the coming days, looking forward to sharing). in limbo, now, here in tashkent, uzbekistan - flight options thrwarted by both revolution + ash cloud. so taking a detour - flying in to istanbul thursday...
janyl's shyrdak available
i am really happy to be able to share these very special pieces from janyl with you. if you are interesting in purchasing one, and would like pricing information, please email us at studio@lavivahome.com…
*this shyrdak, unfortunately, photographed very flat. it is beautiful, truly -
the image does not do it justice…
susan has posted a powerful photo montage of bishkek city shots, both in the days immediately preceding the coup, and in those immediately following. i encourage you to take a peek: www.found-log.tumblr.com.
Watchconversation with janyl
janyl
our visit with master shyrdak maker janyl was magical – i feel nothing short of in awe of the experience. janyl, who is in her early 70s, is widely recognized as the best shyrdak artisan in kyrgyzstan. beyond being an amazing tradition keeper and artist, janyl is an incredibly soulful and joyous woman. we were all completely entranced by her.
we ascended upon the remote mountain town of at...
workshopping shyrdak
the initial impetus for this trip to kyrgyzstan came in the form of an invitation from master shyrdak artisan mairam omurzakova, who invited us (via the wonderful organization vista 360 - www.vista360.org) to spend a couple of days with her and her daughter nurjan at their home in kochkor.
our days were an intensive course in all things shyrdak. mairam and family led us through shyrdak making...
kyrgyzstan
this past week has been nothing short of wholly momentous – full of indescribably rich experiences and discoveries and inspirations, while at the same time plagued by tremendous political turmoil and resulting revolution. it feels beyond overwhelming to even begin to reconcile it all.
this is a trip i have long fantasized about: traveling the ancient silk road, immersing myself in a sampling of...
map of central asia