Dear HAND/EYE readers,
HAND/EYE Magazine correspondent Marcella Echavarria made the rounds at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market and found old friends and made new ones. Read Marcella's musings on some of her favorite artisans, and take a peek at the fabulous photographs of who's here and what's available for purchase.
Coordinating all the details and setting up and from all corners of the world is certainly a challenge, but in Santa Fe it entails many other factors for the artists and visitors: the pleasure to make the journey and the discovery of multiple cultures, places, and faces. This year the market is hosting 170 artists from fifty-one countries and the focus is on the numerous and remarkable artists' cooperatives. Half of the participating artisans are new to the market, and their work was selected for its authenticity, quality, and marketability. A major highlight of the market was the special appearance of Nicholas Kristof, author of
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.
It was a great surprise to find
Aboubakar Fofana from Mali. This was his first time here in Santa Fe. Aboubakar brought several samples of organic and wild cotton fabric that showed off multiple textures and a varied spectrum of indigo shades. Why is indigo so important? According to Aboubakar, "Indigo is a celestial color full of spiritual meanings. Lomassa is the deepest shade achieved by the Soninké masters, a cultural group I belong to. My mission and my passion for the last twenty-five years is to revive the indigo tradition and to tell the world all the wonderful properties of this dye--antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, pure, natural, organic, handmade and full of cultural and spiritual meanings." A favorite piece was the dissa made by the Soninké tribe, master dyers of indigo in West Africa. The oversized scarf with its long fringe is a traditional piece from Mali that accompanies its owner from birth to death. It is hand-spun and dyed by a mother when her son is born; presented to him at his wedding; and used as a shroud when he dies. The dissa is a highly-valued fabric worth several cows.
What joy to find a market regular and one of pure talent like Thailand's
Somporn Intaraparyong or "Nell." Every year Nell brings from Thailand a new world of textures and experiments that connect meditation and healing with multiple pieces of fabric, scarves, and bags. This year she brought hemp and cotton textured fabric, dyed in indigo, cut in different shapes and pieced together to resemble kimonos and monk's robes with a contemporary twist. Nell doesn't have a plan nor does she work with patterns. Instead she senses the breath of the material, cuts it, and sews each piece by hand. She feels and understands the materials that are hand-spun and dyed in the villages then hand-stitched and treated in the slums. New this year to the market are one-of-a-kind bags with shiny, paper-like cotton treated with egg whites and super chic cotton dyed with indigo paste.
Every year
Tintsaba Crafts from Swaziland invites 1000 women weavers to make unique creations of superb quality. The result of the master weavers' competition is rated, catalogued, and numbered by the women. The high-rated pieces are brought to Santa Fe every year so that collectors and connoisseurs can have access to these unique baskets. Nomphumelelo made most of the winning items this year and she says with a smile that she is happy and this is why she could weave so much this year. She adds, "A basket can never be made with clouds in the mind and sourness in the heart." This amazing collection comes from Swaziland, a small land-locked country in Africa, where instead of war and politics, people have devoted themselves to creativity, tradition, and making a difference in their communities through the work of their hands.
Lastly, HAND/EYE Magazine is sponsoring
A Million Hearts for Haiti-a creative and whimsical initiative that brings together a universal symbol for a very worthy cause: to support Haitian artisans recovering from the devastating January earthquake. The hearts were made by Haitian artisans in stone, metal, papier mache, sequins and fabric, and vetiver root. Also included in the booth are paintings by Gerard Fortune and the art of street kids. Each heart comes with a tag that tells a powerful story where culture and commerce intersect beautifully and lovingly. The hearts have been a huge hit at the market, nearing the goal to raise $1 million for Haitian artists.
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