The Visual Language Of Arhuaco Textiles

Abstract

This thesis explores the visual language of Arhuaco textiles as a medium of cultural identity, spirituality, and ancestral memory. Focusing on the mochila, the handwoven bag created exclusively by Arhuaco women, the study investigates how weaving operates as a symbolic form of communication rooted in cosmovision, tradition, and territory. Through a combination of academic research, fieldwork in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and interviews with Arhuaco weavers, it examines the meanings of patterns, the role of women as knowledge keepers, and the tensions between cultural preservation and commercialization. The accompanying design project, Interwoven: Tales of Arhuaco Culture, translates these insights into visual artworks that reflect dualities central to Arhuaco thought. Ultimately, this work highlights weaving as both a personal and collective act of cultural continuity, while calling for design practices that respect and amplify Indigenous voices.