An ancestral wisdom shared through generations.
Embracing the relationship with nature to nurture creativity.

Wisdom in Ancient Art

Located in the province of Ucayali, the Shipibo Conibo artists lead a life in synergy with the Amazon Rainforest. They extend their relationship with nature to create art.

Kene is the design system of the Shipibo Conibo; where lines, symbols and geometry communicate stories of healing and connection to the spiritual world. The Shipibo Conibo are known to have an extensive knowledge in medicinal plants - where nature is treated with respect and valued beyond its resources.

From a young age, little girls learn to paint and sew. They become artists when they are adult women. There is great responsibility in the hand of both mothers and daughters to continue the legacy of Kene art.

Our design team sketch the Kene textiles and collaborate with each artist for the development. The craft of textile making is categorized in three groups.

G1 - Hand painted textiles are made from natural dyes - from plants, tree barks and insects from the Amazon Rainforest. The artists who specialize in hand painted textiles develop one design in two to three weeks.

G2- Hand painted textiles can also be embellished with hand embroidery. Once the hand painted textile is finished, the artist applies cotton or wool thread to the design. Depending on the complexity, the completion of the textile is between 1 month to two months.

G3 - The artists who develop hand embroidered textiles craft each design in a period of two to three months. These stunning pieces cover the whole fabric with the design.

The process of textile making

The artists use tree barks and plants from the Amazon Rainforest as paint. They each create a natural dye, by boiling the desired ingredient in water. Once the color is transferred onto the water, the artist dyes the cotton fabric by hand; a process that requires patience and precision. The textiles are put to dry in the sun and the process is repeated until the cotton fabric holds the desired color. Once the cotton fabric is ready, the artists used the dyes to create an artwork.

To fix the design onto the cotton fabric the artist use a sacred mud. They travel to the river creeks that hold this sacred mud and to acquire this sacred mud, the artist performs a ceremony of gratitud to Mother Earth. This practice symbolizes the perspective of respect the Shipibo Conibo hold towards nature

Once the design is fixed onto the cotton fabric, the hand painted artwork is done.

A further process is to hand embroider the hand painted textile. In this process the artists use cotton threads to add color and intricate details to their artwork. Depending on the size of the cotton textile, artists can take up to three months to hand embroider one artwork.

At the heart of this collaboration is the preservation of Kene Art; the process of creation and the wisdom in this ancestral practice.

In our process of transforming each textile into wearable art, we are inviting you to share our curiosity and learn about Kene art.