IFAM 2024
July 2024
ATW80F was busy at the International Folk Art Market (IFAM), the largest in the US this past month (Over 18,000 visitors, grossing over 3.5 million dollars for over 165 artisans from 60 countries) interviewing and gathering important educational textiles from different ecosystems to add to our valuable collection of post petroleum fabrics.
From Stinging Nettle cloth (Girardinia diversifolia) harvested and handwoven by indigenous Chakhesang women of Nagaland, Northeast India, to Taiwanese "Monkey Ramie" (Boehmeria nivea) cloth harvested, handwoven by the indigenous Atayal tribe dyed with shoulang yam and indigo, to Master Weaver Ice Sarlince and Ted Dara's natural dye intricate and unique heritage ikat patterns reflecting matrilineal ancestry from Indonesia's Savu Island to a fabulous quilt of recycled old clothes and sari scraps made by Fathimabi Yatagatthi of the Siddi community of Karnataka, India- the only community in India of African descent. As ATW80F pivots towards combining the story of materials with the craft of embroidery with our project with RSN, a "love patch" woven by the Tai Daeng and Tai Phuan weavers of Laos Ock Pop Tok Cooperative, portraying the UNESCO World Heritage Intangible culture motif of a Naga or earth spirit has joined the collection.
This year at IFAM, Carroll was able to interview Ridhi Parekh of the Artisans Sustainable Development Foundation, a designer working to empower Chakhesang Khuzami women of Leshmi, Nagaland through co-creative design of locally sourced nettle fabric called thebvo. Stinging nettle is foraged once a year, transforming the bast fiber into hand-spun yarn, softened, bleached in rice broth and strip woven on backstrap looms. The fiber-to fabric journey is entirely local and self-sustaining. An arduous process, spinning and weaving of stinging nettle is increasingly rare and the Chakhesang women of Leshemi are reknowned in the region as highly skilled weavers.