Image: A Multicolores artist's rug (detail) made by stitching strips of fabric into loops of colour that become vibrant works of art. Courtesy of Multicolores.

Join us on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 February 2021 for a two-day virtual workshop on Mayan rug-hooking technique. This workshop will be hosted by Multicolores, an association of Maya women artists who create original textile artwork through rug-hooking and embroidery. Multicolores encourages the use of art as a tool for exploration and expression — and the hand-hooked rugs are no exception: each one is completely unique and highly personal — a celebration of the artist’s creative voice.

Image: One of the Multicolores artists practising rug-hooking.

To create these rugs, artisans hook strips of fabric into thousands of loops of colour, almost as if they are painting. Combining motifs from traditional weavings with their own imagination, the artists create vibrant artworks that are evocative of Maya culture and strikingly contemporary. Each rug is made from dozens of recycled second hand garments, mostly t-shirts: an environmentally friendly, innovative material that reduces textile waste in their community. In this workshop you will learn how to design and hook a rug in the Mayan way with women artists who will guide you through the entire creation process: design, colour combinations, material preparation, and hooking technique. 

Image: Detail of a Multicolores rug.

The workshop will begin with a demonstration by the artists of their own work and of the Mayan handwoven textiles that inspire them, followed by a deep-dive into the Multicolores design philosophy: how to create vibrant, exciting artwork using original templates and freehand drawing. By the end of the workshop, you will have learnt best techniques for cutting your chosen material into strips, produced a complete design and be well on the way to hooking your textile! Since environmental stewardship is a pillar of Multicolores work, participants are invited to recycle or up-cycle secondhand clothing to use as your raw material, as our artists do. A full materials list for the workshop is provided on the workshop page. 

Tickets are available here: Rug Hooking, Virtual Workshop with Multicolores from Guatemala