HUIPIL

Opening October 10 at Monterroso at Crimson

Presented during Hispanic Heritage Month, HUIPIL celebrates the work of Indigenous Guatemalan women through weaving, symbols, and knowledge passed from one generation to the next.

The exhibition draws from a collection begun by Monterroso Gallery founder Gabriela Monterroso in Guatemala in 2001 and expanded over more than two decades. New huipiles continue to be discovered and acquired during her travels, including the Guatemala art tours organized by the gallery.

For generations, the designs woven into huipiles carried symbols closely connected to specific communities and places. Birds and flowers are associated with Santiago Atitlán; mountains, animals, the sun, and geometric forms appear in the visual language of different highland communities.

Today, younger generations of weavers are creating new designs, still inspired by the places they inhabit. The materials are changing too. Traditional hand-spun and naturally dyed fibers now exist alongside commercially produced threads, embroidery, mostacilla, and other materials. The huipil continues to change because the women making it continue to create.

HUIPIL includes vintage and contemporary examples, from intricate handwoven pieces to everyday huipiles using more repeated designs. The exhibition also includes work by a Maya designer who uses vintage huipiles and woven fragments to create new forms, extending the life of the textiles while bringing her own design language to them.

Monterroso’s ceramic sculptures of women are included to honor the women behind this art—the women who weave, embroider, make, wear, teach, and continue to reinvent the huipil.