“TuYo Foundation, established in Amsterdam in 2021, is the result of the efforts of a team of Artists and artisans dedicated to the preservation and promotion of traditional textile techniques. Their mission is centered in supporting local communities via social and environmentally friendly practices. TuYo imagines a future in which indigenous communities dependent on the textile industry could simultaneously maintain their identities, challenge the stereotypes unjustly set on them, and prosper with fair wages and security.”
“Inês Queirós, founder and director of the foundation, is a Portuguese textile artist and researcher with a passion for the preservation of traditional textiles. With profound knowledge on sewing and natural dying techniques, she dedicates herself to motivating communities to revitalize ancient practices with new possibilities.
For Inês, textiles transcend their material function, they are a vehicle of storytelling, a catalyst of social encounters and a powerful tool for the emancipation of women.”
“Gabina Valentín Lopez is a talented Amuzga weaver from Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero in Mexico. She started weaving and learning her cultures indigenous symbology from the women of her family at the age of nine. Later, as she was unwillingly sent to the urban area of Mexico City, weaving became a nightly activity she kept just to stay connected to her roots and traditions. Determined, Gabina has since dedicated her life to preserve and maintain her culture’s textile history. Travelling all across Mexico, and championing the independence of women in her efforts.
As the right hand of TuYo foundation, she exercises a crucial role in the preservation of textiles and the strengthening of Indigenous communities.”
- Taken and translated from: https://tuyofoundation.com/