The artisans

Vida Nueva Women's Cooperative 

Our rugs are proudly handmade by female artisans. Woven by hand using traditional pedal looms in the community of Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico.  They are 100 % wool, sourced locally to the artisans. The colored wool has been dyed only with natural ingredients from the region, such as insects, seasonal flowers, fruits and herbs.

The Zapotec weavers of Teotitlan are well known for their handmade rugs. For centuries families have handed down the weaving tradition from generation to generation. Each rug carries with it the enormous value of their culture and traditions.

Adrian

One-of-a-kind handcrafted decorative ceramics. The clay ceramic pieces that we have selected have been made by Adrian, a young artisan in Santa Maria Atzompa, Oaxaca, Mexico. The clay is locally sourced and dyed with natural elements such as mineral pigments. The ceramics are inspired by nature in its colors and textures, using techniques known since more than five hundred years.

The creative capacity of the artisans in Atzompa is combined with a deep knowledge of the properties of the clay, as well as of the necessary implements for its firing, knowledge passed down from generation to generation that results in unique ceramic pieces.

 

El Camino de los altos Women's Cooperative

The handmade pieces are made proudly by the women’s cooperative El Camino de los Altos, woven by hand using traditional pedal looms in different communities of Chiapas, Mexico. It is 100% cotton, dyed only with natural ingredients from the region, such as insects, seasonal flowers, fruits and herbs.

The pedal loom is a traditional textile technique of the indigenous peoples of
Chiapas. This technique originated during colonial times. The pedal loom is based on a wooden structure through which, with the movement of the hands and feet, they spin each of the cotton and wool threads.

Doña Mago

Our traditional and vibrant placemat sets are made with pre-hispanic techniques, handwoven by the artisan Doña Mago, using traditional back-strap loom in the community of Santo Tomas Jalieza, Oaxaca, Mexico. The designs are traditional images representing animals and flowers of the region, and have been used by the artisans for centuries in the pieces they create.

The village has a tradition of making cotton products on waist or back-strap looms. The name comes from the way it is used. There are straps that wrap around the backs of the artisans while the loom rests on their laps to facilitate threading work.

 

Sisters Maritza and Itzel

Sisters Maritza and Itzel are from Oaxaca and have been working with beeswax and natural dyes (cochineal, indigo, etc.) for 7 years. This craft is a family tradition and they are the third generation who specialize in putting their creativity and ingenuity to the test when working with wax. They are determined to keep the tradition, to continue preserving the culture that their ancestors inherited and they want to show that there is also art in wax.