The Artisans


Every piece that Wild You Handmade offers comes from an unique community of artisans in Colombia with rich traditions and symbolism. When you purchase with us, you'll always know where your pieces came from and who made them. 
 
 
Carolina Vélez Filigree
Carolina Vélez Filigrana

Santa Fé de Antioquia, Colombia

Carolina Vélez is a silversmith who specializes in the art of Filigree in Santa Fé de Antioquia, a colonial town outside the city of Medellín where the practice of Filigree dates back to the 1800s.

Metalworking in Santa Fé de Antioquia is the result of the fusion of knowledge, tools, and styles from Hispano-Arabic, Indigneous, and African people that came together as a result of the Spanish colonization of modern day Colombia. Traditionally Filigree has been worked in gold, but today silver is the primary material.

An art historically dominated by men, Carolina is one of few women practicing Filigree in Colombia. She began to take interest in the art of Filigree after making an anthropological research visit to Santa Fé when she was in college. After many attempts going from workshop to workshop asking if she could become an apprentice, she finally was accepted by one and now is recognized for her work! 

 

Sandra, Kankuamo Artisan
The Association of Women Artisans of the Sierra Nevada
Leader: Sandra Maestre Martinez 
Cesar, Colombia 
The Association of Women Artisans of the Sierra Nevada aims to contribute to, advise, and stand up for the rights of the activities of artisans, helping to improve the quality of life of its members and strengthening a culture of solidarity that leads them to a peaceful and just society.
In 2012 the association was created in the village of La Mina with 100 women, among them older and young adults, to meet together to strengthen the artisanal activity. Mochilas (handwoven bags) are not only one of the main livelihoods of the Kankuama community, but also a cultural legacy that is passed down from generation to generation.
 Throughout this journey until today, the number of women they support has grown, making it possible to reach other rural areas with the presence of Kankuama women. They participate in national craft fairs in Colombia proudly sharing their artisanal bags with all who attend.
“Weaving has great cultural value for our community and for us as women artisans a great sentimental value as well. For me, weaving is an art and the manifestation of a thought, it’s the creation, the representation of our culture through the designs that illustrate everyday Kankuamo life. We grow up seeing our parents weave, create products, and sustain their families with this art that’s more than just an economic means, it’s one of the most important pillars of our patrimony as a community.
In our community we mainly create Fique (agave) mochilas for everyday use with a range of sizes meant for distinct uses. It takes 5 to 8 days to create a mochila depending on the design, the size, and the stitches that are used. However, the process of the mochila actually starts long before weaving. First the Fique plant must be planted and grown to maturity, a process that takes between 5 to 7 years. Once the leaves are harvested, the spine is removed and the fiber is extracted by beating it until the fibers are pure. Then the fibers are spun into thread and dyed primarily with natural dyes from native trees. This whole process happens in the community, giving a unique identity to our bags.” 
 - Sandra Maestre Martinez, Kankuama artisan and leader of Artesanas de La Sierra. 

 

Inga Women Artisans Sit Together In Front Of A Wooden House In Santiago, Colombia.
Taller Inga Awaska
Indigenous Community: Inga 
From: Santiago, Putumayo
Lead Artisan: Luz María Tisoy

Our home workshop is located in the urban part of Santiago, which is the first town at the entrance to the Sibundoy Valley, Putumayo, and the Amazon. We belong to the INGA indigenous community of Santiago.

Our workshop was born 11 years ago with the purpose of helping Inga families dedicated to working in bead weaving. Casa Taller Inga Awaska: home workshop of INGA WEAVING has taken that tradition and has sought to innovate in design without losing the style of our people. Beaded weaving has characterized the Inga People. In our workshop, the awaskas (designs) taken from the Inga chumbe (a sacred woven belt) have been transferred to the bracelets and the new objects for personal use such as bags and necklaces that we have created in the workshop.

What we offer are products for personal use in bead weaving, we want to stand out as a workshop innovating every day, being an example in the use of color together with the symbols of chumbe Inga. The workshop has grown significantly over the years, supporting and strengthening 18-25 families together.

 

Gilma, Lead Artisan Of Arte Colibrí, Organizes Beaded Necklaces On A Table.
Arte Colibrí Artesanías
Indigenous Community: Kamentsä 
From: Sibundoy, Putumayo
Lead Artisan: Gilma María Agreda Chicunque

"Continuing to give life to our sacred teachings, ancestral customs, proud of our native lands and of our mother tongue, today we keep alive those native indigenous footprints and inspiration that with each stitch of weaving is reborn from generation to generation and is a virtue that we thank our Kamentsä community.

The inspiration for my Kamentsä community has always been in the beings of nature. For them there are symbols dedicated to the water, the sun, the moon, the frog, the trees, the mother earth, the woman, which are represented in the fabrics that we wear and use daily.

Through my Kamentsä culture we invite you to let creativity flow and adhere to the values ​​of our peoples and to revive the traditions that are still transmitted from generation to generation".

- Gilma Maria Agreda

 

 Wayuu Children Perform A Traditional Dance. 

Fundación Susu
Indigenous Community: Wayuú
From: Manuare, La Guajira
Leader: Arelis Pana Epieyu
Fundación Susu strives to make the Wayuu visible by promoting their traditional crafts. Led by Arelis Pana Epieyu, the foundation currently works with three different Wayuu communities (rancherías) in different parts of the La Guajira region. Arelis helps artisans improve the quality of their products to be able to better market them internationally. Recently the foundation has built two classrooms at one of the communities in Manaure, where the children can now go to school in their own community instead of having to travel to another for classes.

The Wayuu live in La Guajira, the northeastern coastal tip of Colombia through northwestern Venezuela. They are the most numerous indigenous group in Colombia with over 380,000 members. For generations Wayuu women have practiced weaving, making traditional hammocks for sleeping and bags of all sizes to carry their belongings. The Wayuu are known as the people of the sand, sun, and wind. 

For the Wayuu, the traditional method of crocheting a bag (mochila in Spanish, susu in Wayuunaki) is with one thread. The stitches are tighter and finer allowing for more intricate designs. The process to create a large mochila can take up to a month. The straps are woven and do not stretch. Overall the traditional mochila is lighter than the modern version. 

When you invest in a traditional mochila you are helping to preserve the art of the Wayuu culture.

 

 Sandra And Isabel, Artisans Of Tejidos Pallay

Tejidos Pallay
From: Santa Elena, Antioquia
Leader: Sandra Catalina Jaramillo Tobón
 

Tejidos Pallay is an interdisciplinary group made up of women weavers, designers, and educators from the rural area of Santa Elena, just outside of the city of Medellín in the department of Antioquia. 

Since 2011 they have been working to strengthen women and recover the ancestral memory of weaving from different cultures in Latin America, respecting their traditions and valuing the intangible heritage of ancestral trades, especially weaving.

Pallay is the Quechua word for “harvest” or “collect”. Lead Artisan Sandra Catalina Jaramillo Tobón says that weaving is like sowing seeds of knowledge that are replicated in different communities, likening the finished product of the loom to the harvest. 

Encouraging the talent of women in rural areas, this social enterprise is based on fair trade principles and the creativity and passion of natural fibers and indigenous techniques to create their own take on bohemian style. Each collection is inspired by ancient cultures, geometry, nature, spirituality, and art that give the pieces from Tejidos Pallay a unique look and feel.

 

 
If you are interested in seeing more of any of these artisan groups' work please send us an email at steph@wildyouhandmade.com and we can help you with a personal or wholesale order.