KACHAMA- EXTRAORDINARY TEXTILE ARTIST visits NYC with her stunning hand weaving art from Thailand.

Absolutely stunning, one of my favorite pieces with grains of wheat and pearls woven into the silk.

I recently had the honor of meeting textile artist extraordinaire Kachama.  She shared her beautiful textiles with us at our recent Conscious Collaborations event. I then had the privilege of meeting her again the next evening at an open house hosted by Jeanne Golly.  Kachama was kind enough to answer some questions and allow me to photograph some of her pieces.  For decades Kachama has been using hand woven and natural dye techniques in her studio in the Chang Mai region of northern Thailand. The first time she went to the mountains to learn these ancient techniques almost every home had a loom and often the grandmother was the weaver.  Since then the number of weavers has dwindled and those using natural dyes are even more rare.  What are we losing?  More than those of us who live a modern life can even begin to comprehend.  Natural dyes are not just about gorgeous colors, but serve us with their medicinal properties as well.  By studying with the tribes she learned so many of the subtleties like why it is best to dye indigo at night.  She also spoke of a woman who healed her son's skin ailments by dyeing his clothes in natural tree bark dyes to protect his skin.  As each generation loses interest in this history who knows what knowledge is lost.  It has taken hundreds of years to pass down this information and the temptation to work in the city, often to sew at a fast fashion factory, is too great to stay behind with grandmother and weave.  Conservation of cultural heritage is key in Kachama's mission.  By re-weaving traditional hilltribe tapestries, both antiques and contemporary, inside her own creations Kachama hopes to preserve and promote the cultural legacy of Thailand’s mountain people.  In her Reuse/Recycle/Replenish series exhibited in Tokyo, Kachama explores our everyday waste and manages the impossible by incorporating our modern day garbage into her work, creating a devastatingly beautiful landscape.  Thank you Kachama, my conversation with you was inspirational and your work is exceptional.  I have uploaded several photographs in full size so you can take your time to explore her work.  Each piece takes months to complete, and is unique unto itself.  Enjoy.

For more information visit www.kachama.com

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In this piece Kachama utilizes elements of traditional tapestries.

Beautiful aluminum and silk landscape.

A candid shot of Kachama at our Conscious Collaborations event

Can you spot the upcycled object in this one? The immortal beer can never imagined he'd end up a work of art.