The Grand Adventure

So it begins; last night, we passed through scattered thunderstorms to touch down in Medellin. We are here to start our search for traditional Colombian handicrafts, with the goal of finding traditional artisans to work with. Colombia is packed full of culture and craft traditions, so I’m planning to break our search into regions. I’m looking to start on the Caribbean coast and work east to west, stopping along the way to explore whatever leads come up. There’s a few places I’m especially excited for:

In the far East, on a desert peninsula shared with Venezuela, are the Wayuu people. They have a long history of fierce independence pushing back against colonial pressures with some interesting parallels to the Comanche in the South West. To carry their belongings they make patterned bags called susu - these charismatic little bags have been adopted by the country at large and its common to see people of all ages sporting them. In modern times, acrylic thread has replaced cotton and wild colors, while not replacing the earth toned bags, have come to the fore. I’m excited to meet some of some of these artisans and maybe visit the scattered desert villages. 

    Moving farther west up the Magdalena river lies the once bustling port town of Mompox. Sidelined after a shifting river moved trade elsewhere, obscurity preserved its colonial grandeur and storied metal smithing tradition. Gold and silver filagree have a long history here and the sound of metalsmiths at work still enters the quiet streets. Mompox’s fading glory pushed the artisans to mostly abandon gold work in favor of the cheaper silver, but the tradition is still very much alive and it, along with the town’s many charms, have brought it renewed attention. The town is on the Unesco world heritage list and hosts one of the country’s most renowned Semana Santa celebrations in which some of its best filigree work is put on display.

    The last major site I’m hoping to hit along the Caribbean is tucked along the Darien gap between Colombia and Panama; a string of idyllic islands inhabited by the Guna Yala called the San Blas Islands. I passed through here on my way to Colombia back in 2010 and was amazed by their dugout sailboats and how at home they were in the water. I remember watching kids casually swim from island to island managing distances I would struggle with in a pool. One of their many interesting traditions is the Mola; to make these, they layer and stitch together cloth of different colors, then cut away at the different layers to reveal the ones beneath. Traditionally these molas focus on geometric designs and are incorporated into women’s clothing, but can also be used as wall hangings.

I can’t wait for what the next two months will bring! Follow us on Youtube and Instagram (@lostcanyonimports) for more.