THE EXHIBITION
Representing Peru for the first time at the London Design Biennale was a dream come true for all participants. Discover the highlights of the exhibition.
Francisca Salas
Ollantaytambo Weaver
Francisca, a weaver from Ollantaytambo, travelled outside of her native village for the first time, to come to London and show case the intricate process of wig-making undertaken by the women of Ollantaytambo.
For one week, together with Kiara Kulisic, founder of CHIQA hair, they had a live weaving exhibition that moved everyone who visited the exhibition.
Disobedient Craft
This artwork by Carolina Estrada, commissioned for the London Design Biennale by Leslie Osterling, weaved in Ollantaytambo alongside the CHIQA weavers, incorporates human hair, transformed and weaved into textile. It reclaims craft as a powerful medium of expression, subverting the boundaries between the functional and the political, the traditional and the experimental.
SOME HAIRS
NEVER FALL
Documentary
Filmed over five intense days, the film follows seven Andean women employed by CHIQA as they courageously cut and craft hair into handmade wigs; turning a simple act into a statement of resistance and self-love.
Directed by: Romina Osterling and Luke Reid
Medal Winners
LDB 25 Public Medal
'Hæirloom Ollantaytambo’s (post) modern weavers' was awarded The London Design Biennale Public Medal, as the pavilion with the most votes from the audience.
Here are some words from two very special people, Leslie Osterling, Project Leader and Photographer; and Victoria Broackes, Director of LDB 25.
Leslie Osterling
Project Leader and Photographer
"The feedback from the public has been sensational, and we are thrilled with the
experience of showcasing our work every day. Human hair is a precious commodity and
a remarkably versatile, renewable and sustainable natural resource. Its regulated
marketability could in time generate profound social and economic benefits in personal
terms but also as a collective, enhanced by the added value of the skilled design and
manufacture. The framework of this narrative promotes the value of Peruvian hair
specifically, and the understanding of hair in general, as a resource akin to any other natural
fiber.
We hope to inspire new perspectives on human materials and our relationship with
nature, recycling and reusing and creating less waste."
Victoria Broackes
Director, LDB 25
"Congratulations to the team behind this deeply evocative installation, which
resonated with the public more than any other – and it’s not hard to see why. At its
heart is CHIQA, a visionary project that interlaces Peruvian tradition with
sustainability and female empowerment. Through the artistry of Indigenous women
from the community of Ollantaytambo – who cut, weave and sell remarkable wigs
made from donated hair – the pavilion gives us a tactile, visual, and emotional
experience of cultural heritage, craft, social innovation and, not to be forgotten, a
humanitarian act of kindness, helping people suffering the pain of hairloss."