LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL: TURQUOISE MOUNTAIN
Our first stop at the London Design Festival is Turquoise Mountain who will celebrate outstanding Burmese craftsmanship in a special pop-up experience at ISHKAR’s flagship store on Columbia Road from 16-21 September.
Image: Thin Weave in Mustard on Backstrap Loom © Turquoise Mountain. Image above: Bawk design in Oil Green © Turquoise Mountain.
“Myanmar has an extraordinarily rich and diverse textile heritage from backstrap to frame loom weaving, and over 135 ethnic groups, many with their own textile traditions. These pieces tell the story of Turquoise Mountain’s work in Myanmar, creating jobs for hundreds of people in the craft sector as one of the most powerful and practical ways to bring incomes to women and their families.”
Turquoise Mountain works with artisans from remote regions across the country, including those who have been displaced by conflict and continue to produce their traditional textiles while living in camps. The heritage-inspired collection focuses on backstrap and frame loom weaving; intricate techniques that require exceptional patience. These woven fabrics, patterns and designs of rural regions reflect rites of passage and mythical stories passed down generations.
© Turquoise Mountain
The backstrap loom is a simple loom developed by ancient civilizations and is a highly-skilled and dying craft. The backstrap loom is made mostly of string, sticks and a strap. The warp is tied around a stationary object at one end, with the weaver at the other. The weight of the weaver keeps the warp taut. A weaver using backstrap loom can create a panel of fabric that is the width of their body. This intricate weaving process progresses at a couple of inches per day, creating beautifully detailed motifs.
Turquoise Mountain was founded by His Majesty King Charles III to revive historic areas and traditional crafts, and to provide jobs and skills where cultural heritage is under threat.
For more information about the event, please visit:
www.londondesignfestival.com/activities/heritage-craftsmanship-of-myanmar
For more information about Turquoise Mountain:
www.turquoisemountain.org
@turquoisemountainmyanmar
Image: Thin Weave in Mustard on Backstrap Loom © Turquoise Mountain. Image above: Bawk design in Oil Green © Turquoise Mountain.
Guests will be able to view the charity’s new collection of heritage-inspired textiles from Myanmar – and learn about the talented weavers behind them – as well as a beautiful range of lacquerware and jewellery from artisans across the country.
“Myanmar has an extraordinarily rich and diverse textile heritage from backstrap to frame loom weaving, and over 135 ethnic groups, many with their own textile traditions. These pieces tell the story of Turquoise Mountain’s work in Myanmar, creating jobs for hundreds of people in the craft sector as one of the most powerful and practical ways to bring incomes to women and their families.”
Turquoise Mountain works with artisans from remote regions across the country, including those who have been displaced by conflict and continue to produce their traditional textiles while living in camps. The heritage-inspired collection focuses on backstrap and frame loom weaving; intricate techniques that require exceptional patience. These woven fabrics, patterns and designs of rural regions reflect rites of passage and mythical stories passed down generations.
© Turquoise Mountain
The backstrap loom is a simple loom developed by ancient civilizations and is a highly-skilled and dying craft. The backstrap loom is made mostly of string, sticks and a strap. The warp is tied around a stationary object at one end, with the weaver at the other. The weight of the weaver keeps the warp taut. A weaver using backstrap loom can create a panel of fabric that is the width of their body. This intricate weaving process progresses at a couple of inches per day, creating beautifully detailed motifs.
Turquoise Mountain was founded by His Majesty King Charles III to revive historic areas and traditional crafts, and to provide jobs and skills where cultural heritage is under threat.
For more information about the event, please visit:
www.londondesignfestival.com/activities/heritage-craftsmanship-of-myanmar
For more information about Turquoise Mountain:
www.turquoisemountain.org
@turquoisemountainmyanmar