This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring with Zapotec textile artist, natural dyer, researcher, educator Porfirio Gutíerrez. Porfirio Gutíerrez is known internationally for his exceptional devotion to the textile traditions of his home pueblo of Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, a richly historic Zapotec textile artist community. His mission has been reinvigorating and preserving natural dyeing techniques for future generations. Gutierrez’s work brings awareness to a profound spiritual belief that nature is a living being, sacred and honored.
Watch the recording here:
If you are interested in exploring cochineal, which Porfirio talked about and is farming in Oaxaca, you can find it here on our site. See how many hues of red YOU can get from it!
More about Porfirio:
Porfirio Gutíerrez has been recognized by leading organizations such as the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, Fomento Cultural Banamex, Harvard University’s Forbes Pigment Collection, and the International Folk Art Market for his tireless work and commitment to his native culture. As a native Zapotec weaver, he advocates for the use and understanding of natural dyes in the creation of his beautifully handwoven textiles. His pieces are included in major museum collections and in the homes of private collectors across the United States, Mexico, and Europe.
Porfirio’s commitment to educating people about the importance of natural dyes helped him see the need for a comprehensive study garden and educational center in Teotitlán, where the local community and visitors alike could come to learn about the cultivation and use of native plants.
His plan is to create a tintorial garden that will cultivate plants used in textile dyeing, paying homage to Zapotec cultural history and the natural environment through the garden’s design and educational programming.