Design José Machado

“Tecendo Caminhos” is an exhibtion of processes . Here, we share important moments of the work done by Artesol – Artesanato Solidário and PSA – Projeto Saúde e Alegria in partnership with the communities of Ponta Negra (Paraty – Rio de Janeiro) and Rio Arapiuns (Santarém – Pará). Common goals and values between very far away sites: through the valorization of weaving techniques and the respect of the local cultures, aiming to promote alternatives of income generation and the sustainability of these craftmanship groups.

Ponta Negra is a small fisherman community near Paraty at Rio de Janeiro state in Brazil. It is surrounded by the Mata Atlantica rainforest from where they take the Timbupeba Cipó and the sea where they fish.  In the Ponta Negra community there’s the Arteçara Group of Artisans which is supported by the Núcleo Oikos and the Central Artesol – Artesanato Solidário.

photo: Felipe Leal

This is the Cipó Timbupeba before pealling. It’s a sort of root that grows at the top the trees. there’s a legend that you cannot pronounce the name of the Cipó durgin the expedition, so it hides from you in the jungle. They call it as “child”, so you become older and more important than him.

This is the atmosphere at the workshop with Dona Dália pealing and preparing the Cipó stripes before start the weaving.

Workshop at Ponta Negra, Paraty, Brazil. Mestre Jovino showing how to make “tapeti”. Fine hability with hand and feet. At the same time, he teaches his wife Dália the techinque. In this kind of workshop masters theaches his skills for the young people to learn.

Renato making the “Tapeti”

Sisters Nicinha and Mauriceli work with 4-hand to make the head of the Chicken Fruit Bowl. Both learn the same technique and finishing parttern so they can remember together how to make it next time.

This is a video of the final result of the workshop. These products were brought to São Paulo for the “Tecendo Caminhos” expo at “Artesol- Artesanato Solidário”.