MADE IN OAXACA: Artist-in-Residence | Issue #1
Dive into Oaxaca's artisans, food, culture, and textiles by Madelline Vicencio.
SANTA MARÍA DEL TULE
This summer, I set forth to Oaxaca where I was invited to spend two weeks in the illuminating casita of TEXERE. TEXERE is an artist-in-residence program that provides accommodations, studio space, and support for artists to develop their practice in a new setting. There, I met people of many skills primarily relating to textiles and embroidery. Upon arrival, I was stunned by the arcadian town of Santa María del Tule, home for TEXERE. El Tule is a small village but attracts the likes of many tourists with their vibrant markets that sell unique attire and souvenirs, as well as, some of the best sushi I have ever had. Tule is also home to the famous Árbol del Tule which is rumored to be a sort of magical source for the town.
I was introduced to the table loom within the second day of my stay, which became one of my most favorite tools by the end of this residency. Ana Cris, team member at TEXERE, specialized in both the table and floor looms. During the morning hours, she would work gracefully on graphic marketing for TEXERE, then once I’ve had enough of spending time with the residency chicken I would totter my way into the shared workspace and ask for a lesson on the looms. The table loom and floor loom, I learned, is a staple to any Oaxacan home that specializes in crafting clothings, rugs, and textiles for decor. (Most households even possessing 1 floor loom per person).
With the table loom, I learned how to create a warp (not hard, but requires everlasting patience) and how to select the perfect thread all depending on it’s quality, texture, and size in order to produce my very own textile piece. Admittedly, the objective was to create a blouse I could wear at my last day but I could only muster up enough time to create a charming table runner. On the floor loom, I practiced using my body to shovel the weft back and forth while keeping in mind the pressure of my feet on the wooden beams. Left foot weft with left hand, right foot weft with right hand.
WORKSHOPS IN OAXACA
Within the first week, I began to set goals for myself. I promised myself once the church bells rang for 6 am, I would be set and ready to spend my mornings painting, drawing, or studying textiles. In reality, what truly woke me up was my stomach craving my next quesadilla at 8 am. Nevertheless, losing 2 hours did not stop me from spending my afternoons traveling by taxi/colectivo to nearby villages such a Teotitlan, Mitla, or San Marcos Tlapazola. In Teotitlan del Valle, I witnessed artisans in San Pascual’s extraordinary candle making studio creating and dyeing candles. In Mitla, I met the flying shuttle loom weaver, Arturo. He revealed to me his masterfully woven dresses, blouses, and bed covers then offered some knowledge on traditional weddings in Oaxaca (a topic so deserving of it’s own column). Lastly, in San Marco Tlapazola, we met the empowering Macrina Mateo of Las Mujeres del Barro Rojo. She warmly greeted us (myself and the group Thread Caravan) in her native tongue and explained how she put this small Zapotec village on the map for it’s red clay pottery.
Naturally, any artist’s goal at a residency would be to complete a series of work. Yet, my goals towards the second week began to transform into a more “student” approach. I took workshops from people at the top of their craft which made it difficult to begin a series of work from start to finish. With just two weeks to explore, to attend workshops, and to meet people, I thought it would be more important to take home the knowledge that Oaxaca had to offer. Leading me to one workshop I would never forget, Roxana of Coyotepec taught me how to produce natural pigments out of rosemary (green), flowers (yellow), pecans (purple), and Brazil tree (red). She so generously invited me to her home and showed me step-by-step on how to extract color from any natural resource into paints I could use for my own artwork.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Now, it’s tough summarizing any final thoughts of Oaxaca because there is so much to say about this fascinating city. Even on the last day of residency, I couldn’t help but think about how I could adopt “slow-living” and how to utilize a more handmade lifestyle when I return to Houston. El Árbol del Tule has truly sprinkled it’s magic upon the people of Tule and it’s surrounding towns. The hands that produce food, clothings, buildings, mezcal, and more will always be an inspiration to my craft and even way of living. All I could say is, thank you to the team at TEXERE for an experience that will always have me coming back home to Mexico.
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