Guatemala, Multicolores, “My Story of the Pandemic” Rug

“My Story of the Pandemic” Large Rug by Bartola Morales Tol 

This hand-hooked rug was designed and crafted by Bartola Morales Tol, member of the Patanatic rug-hooking group. Bartola lives in Patanatic, Sololá, a rural Kaqchiquel Maya community in the highlands of Guatemala. 

Bartola describes her inspiration for this design: “This special story rug expresses my experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic situation that we're all living through, I only worked on my rugs. Now I am also planting vegetables and crops and I am raising chickens on our land. Since my daughter can't go to school, she helps me to water the plants and care for the chickens. We are more connected to our land." This composition is modeled after the form of indumentaria maya, the handwoven huipil and corte worn by Maya women.

The artists of Multicolores began learning the rug-hooking technique in 2011. Rug-hooking is a traditional folk art not native to Guatemala. In their design process, artists blend ancestral motifs drawn from backstrap weavings, inspiration from the natural world, and their own imagination. The resulting textile artworks evoke both their Maya heritage and their contemporary, individual creative voice. This piece is unique and the design is entirely the result of the artist's creative vision. Dimensions: 61cm x 122cm 

Fibre: This rug is made from recycled secondhand clothing, known in Guatemala as 'paca,' on hand-woven cotton base cloth, with a hand-stitched binding. This rug was made using 40-45 recycled garments, which are washed and cut into strips before being incorporated in the design. Material is not dyed during the making process. Recycled materials retain their original color. 

This rug takes approximately 1 month to complete. 

Stock level: 1 (one-of-a-kind item)