This year the International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks was held in Chile. The organisers of the conference, Kutralkura UNESCO Global Geopark, have a large indigenous population with a rich fabric dyeing culture. In order to promote this culture to the world, they began to Weaving Hope project.

This project collected fabric from various geoparks around the world, and sewed them into a large artistic tapestry. The hopes and dreams of each geopark was woven into the fabric, to create a artwork that crosses national boundaries.

In collaboration with the Ushikubi Tsumugi and MIZEN Hakusan Store “Kaga no Oriza”, we were able to send in an Ushikubi Tsumugi silk work. This piece of fabric was made by two reels of silk – one bearing the iconic pre-dye striped pattern used by the Hakusan Kobo, and the other using post-dye techniques representing a flowery pattern. The work produced represented not only the ancient silk culture of Japan, but the pride of Ushikubi Tsumugi from the Hakusan area.

At the conference, our Ushikubi Tsumugi was displayed side-by-side works from around the world, each with their own unique colors and patterns representing their areas. Each work held the hopes, cultural beliefs, and identity of its area, and being able to compare them all together was a great experience.

Susan