"Ch'ullu for a New Leader" sculpture

Standing approximately 10 feet tall when fully extended, this striking knit sculpture of a ch’ullu—a traditional Andean hat with earflaps and tassels—is crafted from refuse collected by the artist, Aymar Ccopacatty, along the shores of Lake Titicaca near Puno, Peru.

Aymar Ccopacatty, an artist of Aymara heritage, uses his work to examine the impact of non-biodegradable waste in Native communities. Growing up in a textile-producing community in Peru, where wool and camelid fibers were primary natural resources for weaving and knitting, Ccopacatty learned these traditional skills from his grandmother. Today, he repurposes plastic bags and other trash, now the most abundant material in his environment, to create his art.

Of this piece, Ccopacatty explains:
“Ch’ullus are traditionally a symbol of authority, worn by men who have graduated into adulthood by taking a larger role in the community and its yearly tasks, such as justice, protecting crops from hail, safeguarding ducks from over-hunting, and resolving property disputes. Making the ch’ullu out of recycled plastic brings the larger community leadership role of protecting our future into focus.”