Designer/Artisan: The Process of Working Ethically with Traditional Communities

FESCH.TV INFORMIERT:

Designer/Artisan: The Process of Working Ethically with Traditional Communities
Carolyn Kallenborn, Professor University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
Social Designer Ana Paula Fuentes, Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca, Mexico
Artisan Miriam Campos, San Antonino Castillo Velasco, Oaxaca, Mexico

Kallenborn, Fuentes and Campos discuss the dynamic relationship between design and traditional communities. They explore how the process of designing garments and textiles developed for the market can support individual artisan creativity, community identity and cultural sustainability.

Lecture was presented March 31, 2022
At the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Speaker Bios:

Carolyn Kallenborn is the Jane Rafferty Thiele Professor of Human Ecology at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison. Kallenborn works with textiles, light, and space to create sculptural
works, set designs, video, and installations. Each year, Kallenborn spends time in the central valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico where the rich exchange of ideas and culture with the artists and artisans inspire her work. Kallenborn is the creator and producer of the documentary films Woven Lives: Contemporary Textiles from Ancient Oaxaca Traditions, and La Vida y Los Muertos about Day of the Dead in Oaxaca.

Ana Paula Fuentes is a cultural photographer and social designer from Mexico City. She currently lives in Oaxaca, Mexico, and has specialized in Mexican culture and traditions for the past 16 years. She is interested in the world of textiles, travel, and cultural outreach and uses her creativity and passion for furthering her professional career. Her photography focuses on telling stories that exhibit both beauty and truth while also weaving connections between foreign partners and locals, emphasizing cultural sensitivity and respect.

Miriam Campos is a third generation embroidery artist from San Antonino Castillo Velasco in Oaxaca. She and her family are known for their signature designs and colorful floral embroidery that can be seen in traditional clothing. Miriam’s mother Reyna Cornelio, grandmother Virginia Sánchez, and all her aunts are established designers and embroiderers of this craft. Miriam has exhibited in museums nationally and internationally including the Rufino Tamayo Museum in Oaxaca, Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, New York Botanical Gardens, and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.