BORDADO
Embroideries from the valleys of Ecuador
Situated in the southern Ecuadorian Andes, Cuenca is the capital of the Azuay Province. The small colonial centre of the city is surrounded by four rivers and it is listed as an UNESCO world heritage site. Cuenca hosts one of the biggest international artisan fairs of Latin America, becoming a trading centre for various artisans.
Located on the outskirts of Cuenca the cooperative Centro de Bordados, acts as a creative hub employing more than 60 local artisans. Founded in 1989 the centre provides working spaces, educational workshops and general support for women of the surrounding rural communities.
During our visit, we were hosted by Lucrecia Maita Supiguicha who was the cooperative director at the time. Lucrecia worked with embroidery since she was a young girl continuing to practice the craft into her adult life. She studied phycology and specialised in social work, leading her to form organisations supporting and promoting local women and their craft. In the late 80’s she became part of Centro de Bordados Cuenca combining her love for craftsmanship with her passion for social work.
The embroideries are stitched onto lightweight cotton fabric using cotton, silk and viscose threads. There are various embroidery stitches that are used to produce the designs. Punto cruz, punto llano, punto atrás, punto cadena and punto tejido are the most common patterns. The designs illustrate celebratory scenes, traditional costumes and abstract figures representing Ecuadorian wildlife. Every card is made by a different artisan and it is therefore unique in shape and colour. The design process varies depending on the project and requires several stages.
Every illustration needs to be drawn by hand and copied onto tracing paper. The illustration is then pierced with a fine needle following the outline of the drawing. The pierced outline is then rubbed with charcoal creating an imprint onto the fabric. The embroidery can then begin once the colours and qualities have been selected. The cooperative has been supporting local women to develop their practice and continue their tradition. It is an organisation that promotes equality, education and craftsmanship working with families across the region.
Lucrecia has been leading the cooperative for many years with the vision to develop the organisation into a competitive business that promotes and preserves traditional practices. She summarised her approach with the following phrase
Artesania que no se vende se muere. — Lucrecia Maita