Textile
Tuyo Foundation
TuYo Foundation at FICA
In collaboration with the TuYo Foundation, FICA will host two workshops dedicated to the textile traditions of the Amuzgo indigenous people of Mexico, led by Gabina Valentín López, a master artisan from Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero, who was honored in 2024 the Galardón Nacional de Textil, one of Mexico’s most prestigious awards in the field of traditional textile crafts.
Learning is also a way to preserve
Each workshop is an opportunity to learn from those who keep these ancestral traditions and techniques alive, helping to highlight the work of the Amuzga artisans, raise awareness of their culture, and support a project dedicated to preserving and promoting the textile heritage of indigenous communities.
By participating in these training sessions, you are also helping to raise awareness of the work of the Amuzga craftswomen, recognizing the value of their knowledge, and supporting the continued transmission of their skills.
Preservation and Enhancement
Have you heard of the TuYo Foundation?
Preserving traditions also means valuing the people who keep them alive
Founded in Amsterdam in 2021, the TuYo Foundation is dedicated to preserving and promoting ancestral textile traditions, working side by side with indigenous communities to keep their knowledge alive and create fair and sustainable economic opportunities.
➜ Have you heard of the TuYo Foundation?
a tradition woven over generations
In Mexico, the Foundation works with the Amuzga indigenous community of Xochistlahuaca, where weaving and embroidery are much more than just craft techniques: they are part of the identity, memory, and daily lives of generations of women.
Through projects developed in collaboration with local artisans, TuYo seeks to ensure that this knowledge continues to be valued and passed on to future generations, while respecting the culture, autonomy, and needs of the community itself.
Amuzgo Culture
In the Amuzga indigenous community of Xochistlahuaca, Mexico, every piece of fabric tells a story. It is primarily the women who, from generation to generation, keep this tradition alive, passing down the techniques, symbols, and knowledge that are part of the community’s identity.
Through threads and motifs inspired by nature, beliefs, and ancestral stories, each piece is an expression of creativity and knowledge, preserving a cultural heritage in which every gesture holds the memory of many generations.
In November at FICA
Two workshops, a living tradition
It is through this convergence of tradition and the transmission of knowledge that TuYo comes to FICA, offering two workshops led by Gabina Valentín López, a master Amuzga artisan.
Throughout these workshops, you’ll have the opportunity to discover two techniques deeply rooted in Amuzga culture, learn about their materials, symbols, and processes, and learn directly from those who help keep these traditions alive.
The workshops will be taught in Spanish, with translation and support in Portuguese (and English if necessary) by Inês Queirós, founder of TuYo.
Includes materials
All the materials needed for the workshop are available.
Includes a loom for weaving.
Weaving on a Dobby Loom
2 sessions • Saturday and Sunday - 12 hours • 250€ (includes a loom for each participant)
In this two-day workshop, we will explore the Amuzgo waist loom, a tool of pre-Hispanic origin that remains an integral part of the textile tradition of Mexico’s indigenous communities.
Over the course of 12 hours, each participant will learn how to prepare the warp, set up their loom, and explore traditional weaving techniques, working with raw cotton yarn and yarn dyed with Mexican plants.
Through gestures, patterns, and symbols, let’s discover how each fabric can tell a story and preserve a community’s memory.
At the end of the workshop, each participant will take home a handmade waist loom, crafted by Gabina and her family in Mexico, so they can continue to practice and deepen their understanding of this tradition long after the workshop is over.
November 21 and 22 • 10 a.m.—5 p.m.
LEARN MOREMexican Amuzgo Embroidery Workshop
1 session • Friday - 6 hours
In this workshop, we’ll learn about Randa embroidery, a traditional technique used to join and decorate huipiles, the traditional garments worn by indigenous women in Mexico.
With Gabina’s guidance, we’ll learn four Randa embroidery stitches, using cotton thread and samples of Amuzgo fabric woven on a backstrap loom.
An opportunity to discover a technique passed down through generations of women and to explore its potential applications in clothing, textiles, and contemporary design.
November 20 • 10 a.m.—2 p.m.
LEARN MOREPhoto credit: TuYo Foundation
For questions about registration or cancellations, please review the terms and conditions on each workshop's page and in the terms and conditions.