Threads to the Past: Oaxacan Artist Weaves Together History, Art, Culture and Tradition Daphne Khalida Kilea - VCReporter
go to original July 29, 2017

It is hoped that Gutiérrez’s workshops will develop lasting relationships between participating organizations and the local indigenous community. (Javier Lazo)

Porfirio Gutiérrez, 38, is a renowned Zapotec weaver who, at the age of 12, learned the skill from his father while growing up in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico. As he recounts, that was the culture; weaving was a way of life.

While weaving is still a source of income for some Zapotecos, many have long since adapted to the influences of time by opting for money-saving alternatives and utilizing less time-consuming practices, such as the use of chemical dyes. According to Gutiérrez, most of the younger generation no longer grow up weaving due to school or other opportunities.

“For me, weaving was a job, but now it’s a choice. It’s my passion. The whole idea is to share, for Oaxaca, for Mexico perhaps, our way of life, our traditions — to preserve them. Maybe not continue what I’m doing, but learn about this process of gathering and sharing traditions, and inspire,” explained Gutiérrez.

This choice and the changes Zapotecos have experienced led Gutiérrez to his current project, Tejedor del Tiempo, where he will share his ancestors’ weaving techniques using a frame loom in California workshops.

... So what is Gutiérrez sharing?

The history of the Zapotecos, their identity, their art.

Specifically, the natural weaving process that includes washing and sorting raw wool, spinning it into yarn, collecting plants and insects to make dyes and weaving with looms. All of this work is done by hand.

Read the rest at VCReporter

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