Santiago, Chile, 2015

This is my first “Chilean” quilt. After reading about the Human Zoos of the late 1800’s, I felt that I needed to ‘place’ the blind Yaghan woman, Peine, where she belonged, in Tierra del Fuego.

The three indigenous groups in that cold and wet island participated in very similar initiation rites; the men painted their bodies and faces and wore masks to scare women off.  When this photograph was taken the initiation rites were almost non existent as there were so few young men left to initiate. Mourners began to paint their bodies and faces when someone died.

Cotton fabric eco-printed by Paulina Mella. Layout, design, hand embroidered and quilted by me.

Photograph:  Martin Guisinde Hentschel, 1919-1922.
Punta Remolino, North Coast of the Beagle Chanel, Tierra del Fuego, Chile.

The post Duelo Yagán–Yaghan in Mourning appeared first on textile art by Patricia Caffrey.

Santiago, 2016

I had asked Paulina Mella to eco print fabric I could use for the quilts I wanted to make of the First Peoples of Tierra del Fuego.  When she showed me the dyed fabric I knew that I wanted to use the photograph of this magnificent woman.  I have her “wearing” a gown that connects her to her surroundings.

The woman is one of the last of the Kaweskar people; photo taken around the 1980´s.

Design, layout, hand embroidered and quilted by me.

I found the photograph in a book on Chilean indigenous people.  As soon as I find the name of the photographer, I will add the information.

Not for sale.

The post Roots–Raíces appeared first on textile art by Patricia Caffrey.