andean textile

Working with pure alpaca yarns on a cotton warp, Teofilo Choquecahua in Peru creates this beautiful tapestry. The colorful tapestry is woven on a traditional loom, and depicts a pair of birds along with Inca-inspired motifs.

Influenced by Inca art and decorative motifs, Teofilo Choquecahua in Peru creates this stunning tapestry. The tapestry depicts a family of birds, each facing a different direction. The wall hanging is woven on a traditional pedal loom using pure alpaca yarns on a cotton warp.

An astral symbol, the chakana symbolizes order in family and community life; it is taken from a constellation of stars that forms a square. The name means 'ladder to the sky' and the sacred Andean symbol is a manifestation of the union of mankind with the cosmos. The four points represent the four dimensions necessary for life in a spiritual, social, political and economic community.

The geometric motif glows in the middle of this colorful handloomed tapestry. Working in an alpaca blend, master artisan David Laura Zanabria pays tribute to Andean traditions, selecting both the techniques and colors favored by ancient peoples there.

Titled "Chakana" in Quechua.

Chola is a term referring to indigenous and mestizo women from the Andes that now applies to all who wear the traditional costumes established during the initial process of mestizaje (mixing of cultures) in the current Andean region. Peru’s Gerardo Fernandez creates a breathtaking Ayacucho tapestry expertly handwoven from wool depicting three cholas in abstract style. “The women are wearing typical hats and colorful skirts. Each figure is carefully detailed, capturing the richness of the textiles and the bright hues that characterize their attire,” says Fernandez. The eco-friendly tapestry is colored with natural dyes obtained from organic sources like cochineal and tree leaves, bark, roots and fruits.

Vibrant details in warm hues create a captivating composition that invites you to dive deep into its symbolic figures. Miriam Chipana, from Peru, creates this cubist composition with naif tendencies as an homage to the breathtaking Andean landscapes, representing the crops, textiles, and geography of the region in a creative and mystic arrangement, all using acrylic on canvas.

The artwork is titled Paisaje I in Spanish and comes unstretched.

This fantastic tapestry from the Andean highlands features entrancing abstract designs in a variety of colors. Inka uses crescent moon shapes in this design, diligently handwoven on an artisanal loom from alpaca wool and cotton blend fibers. For the artist, the tapestry represents the "union between the traditional and the contemporary, maintaining the iconic language of the Peruvian culture."

David Laura Zanabria adapts a surreal style to explore the psyche of a sleeping man. Appearing as fragmented images, birds, faces and animals come to life in a palette of vivid colors. The master artisan works in an alpaca blend, woven by hand on a traditional Andean loom.

Titled "Sueños del hombre" in Spanish.

David Laura Zanabria adapts a surreal style to explore the psyche of a sleeping man. Appearing as fragmented images, birds, faces and animals come to life in a palette of vivid colors. The master artisan works in an alpaca blend, woven by hand on a traditional Andean loom.

Titled "Sueños del hombre" in Spanish.

Tapestries and textiles in the Andes are as important today as they were 3,000 years ago, created for diverse purposes between daily life and godly ceremonies. Inspired by the culture he inherited from his ancestors, artisan Javier Landa continues the weaving traditions practiced for millennia in what is today Peru, blending imagery between the indigenous world of the Inca with the colonial legacy of the Spanish, and the religion they brought to the region centuries prior.

Learning traditional weaving from his father as a child, Javier Landa started with a foundation in Ayacucho influence, which compelled him to dedicate his adult life and career to mastering the art of weaving, learning increasingly complex methods as he worked in diverse workshops across Peru until he developed his own artistic license and style, as shown in the Inca Cross. This tapestry is entirely hand woven, with each thread being developed and combined on the two pedal loom, delivering stunning textures and banding gradients.

Titled "Cruz del Inca" in Spanish