Van Haver searched for inspiration at the Wayuu community in Columbia and was initiated in their secret weaving techniques. In 'Anayawachijaa Kai' (thank you sun) and 'Anayawachijaa Kashi' (thank you moon) Van Haver has combined geometrical Wayuu patterns with her own figurative translation of animals and plants from the mythical stories and world of the Wayuu.
Fascinated by the sculptural art by Raquel van Haver, the TextielMuseum asked her to weave two tapestries for the collection. Van Haver searched for inspiration at the Wayuu community in Columbia and was initiated in their secret weaving techniques. The challenge for the TextielLab was to transform that manually woven piece into a template for machine-weavable art. In ‘Anayawachijaa Kai’ (thank you sun) and ‘Anayawachijaa Kashi’ (thank you moon) Van Haver has combined geometrical Wayuu patterns with her own figurative translation of animals and plants from the mythical stories and world of the Wayuu. The layeredness from her drawn imageries has stayed so there is much to see: on the first, a large, all-seeing owl with all kinds of other birds, bats and sealife, with on the background the round makers mark of the master weaver. For the other tapestry, insects and spiders take over, with an imposing cactus at it’s base. The two tapestries were on show this year at the TextielMuseum for the exhibition Textile Now – each thread tells a story.
'Textile now - each thread tells a story', TextielMuseum, Tilburg, 10 June - 1 October 2023
