Rosario Ratzán’s colorful designs and intricate beadwork and embroidery are inspired by her father’s heritage as respected painter of the Mayan Tzʼutujil community. Ratzán’s mother, a master embroiderer and weaver of huipiles (traditional dresses), taught her the techniques handed down through her family. After armed conflict made traveling to the city to sell his paintings…
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The centuries-old designs of the Mayan people provide the inspiration and innovation for more than 50 women rug makers from the highlands of Guatemala. Their handmade hooked rugs, made by recycling the cast-off clothing of their North American neighbors, are preserving their ancestral artistry and building economic stability. Rather than investing in expensive wool and…
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Multicolores, or many-colored, is about as fitting of a name as possible for this cooperative artist group from central Guatemala. Ecstatically hued embroidery adorns pillows, footstools, and other home goods, lend a punch of happy color to any room. Some of the rugs depict animals—butterflies and birds in flight are popular embellishments—while others rely on…
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Amalia Gue is the president of Ixbalam’ke, a cooperative of 65 women dedicated to the production of textiles using traditional weaving techniques. They live in the community of Samac de Cobán in Alta Verpaz and are inspired by the landscape and beauty of the region. All the women in her community know how to weave,…
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