Thursday, February 17, 2011

More Ecuadorean Arpilleras from Ana's Visit to the Art Gallery

Here are some more Ecuadorian arpilleras (sculpted textile paintings) made by members of a woman's cooperative. (Right click to enlarge.) They portray the struggles and daily life of a vibrant society. Ana purchased the soccer game for her son, and one of a pharmacy (not shown) for her daughter.

"Women United Will Conquer"
"Women, Unite in the Struggle"
"Love, Yes; Hitting, No"
"Enough of Violence Against Women"


Conflict Between Peru and Ecuador


Election


Panaderia (Bakery)


Potato Harvest


Mercado (Market)


Comedor (Dining Room)


Futbol (Soccer)



5 comments:

Kenzie Mann said...

Hello,

I am going to Ecuador in January and I would LOVE to see these in person. Where did you find these arpilleras, and do you know of any other locations in Ecuador where they can be viewed?

Al said...

Ana saw these at a college art show some time ago. I don't know if they were from a traveling exhibit or a (perhaps local) collector. I will try to find out more for you in the next few days! They are extraordinary works of art, aren't they?

Al said...

I checked, Kenzie, but the records of that particular art exhibit are gone, alas. All I was able to learn is that some of the arpilleras (I don't know which) were actually from Peru. Apparently, the art form originated in Chile, from which it spread to other countries.

The good news is that you can do a Google search, or use another search engine, to search for "arpilleras." There's a great deal about them on the web. You can even add "Ecuador" to your search request.

There are other fruitful avenues open to you as well. The larger cities of Ecuador are sure to have exhibits of them in art galleries, universities, culteral centers, and stores, as well as many other places. You should be able to get leads from your hotelier, from artists and other professionals, and, very likely it would seem to me, from taxi drivers.

I might add that there are undoubtedly arpilleras on exhibit in the United States, probably in most major cities. A few calls to likely organizations, like Latin-American art and cultural centers, should turn some up.

Kenzie Mann said...

Thank you so much for your information! I will definitely contact a few museums and talk to my contacts in Ecuador to see what I can find. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!!!

Joyce said...

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