The voice I inherited from my mother
Three generations of Mixtec women pass on the art of weaving through silence, observation, and the love they have for one another.
Retrato de las artesanas del Colectivo Tejedoras de Vidas y Sueños (2025-10-12) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
A community that supports each other
In San Juan Colorado, Oaxaca, Alegoría Lorenzo Quiroz has presided over the group of weavers for 37 years. She never went to school and only speaks Mixtec. Her daughter, Verónica Lorenzo Quiroz, 45, a master weaver, became her interpreter when she was 15.
Retrato de las artesanas del Colectivo Tejedoras de Vidas y Sueños trabajando el algodón coyuchi (2025-10-12) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
The Mixtec who weaves first
From the moment they are born, mothers speak to their daughters in Mixtec. It is the language of the loom; every term and every technique is passed down from generation to generation, word by word.
"My first language is Mixtec. From the moment we are born, our mothers speak to us in Mixtec." - Verónica Lorenzo Quiroz
Retrato de Verónica Lorenzo Quiroz en San Juan Colorado, Oaxaca (2025-10-12) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
The persistent girl who won her thread
At eight years old, Verónica would cry and beg Alegoría for yarn. The mothers jealously guarded their supplies: everything was scarce, everything was expensive. "Give me yarn, I want to do what you're doing," she insisted. First lesson: a napkin to cover dishes.
Zenaida Tapia Nicolás trabajando el telar de cintura en San Juan Colorado, Oaxaca (2025-10-12) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Maternal learning
Put in four, put in three." Alegoría and the other mothers chat while they weave, the girls absorbing. No formal instruction, just constant presence. Small hands imitate large ones. Mistakes are undone, they start again. By age 10, Verónica was already brocading on her own.
"The mothers are talking... sort of, just from what we've heard... we're mentally recording all of that": Verónica Lorenzo Quiroz
Retrato de Lucía Celia García, Alegoría Lorenzo Quiroz y Socorro Zoila Lorenzo García (2025-10-12) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
The grandmothers of the senses
My paternal grandmother wove, my maternal grandfather cultivated butterfly flowers that grow along riverbanks, their house smelled of ripe bananas and wildflowers. Weaving is also learned through aromas, the warmth of a lap, the light that enters while the hands work.
Retrato de artesanas del Colectivo Tejedoras de Vidas y Sueños (2025-10-12) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Bridge between cultures
Verónica became a bridge for her fellow members of the collective. Through Spanish, she has allowed them to express their crafts and culture throughout the country, bringing the history of their community into the present.
Retrato de Carmelina Reyes Tapia y Liliana María Nicolás Mendoza en la preparación de teñido (2025-10-12) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
The niece who is everyone's daughter
Many of the women have found a safe haven in the community. When Verónica's niece came to live with them at age 10, Alegoría and the others welcomed her with open arms and taught her the crafts of their heritage.
Retrato de las artesanas del Colectivo Tejedoras de Vidas y Sueños (2025-10-12) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
The echo of the teachers
Over the years, Alegoría and her companions have taught many girls, who are now mothers capable of organizing workshops and passing on their knowledge to their own daughters. Preserving and thriving is their way of remaining present, along with the memory of their ancestors.
Retrato de Aleogría Lorenzo Quiroz preparando el algodón coyuchi (2025-10-12) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
The unbreakable chain
37 years later, Alegoría continues to preside without speaking Spanish. Verónica translates two languages and two worlds.
Retrato de Alegoría Lorenzo Quiroz en el proceso de preparación de algodón coyuchi (2025-10-12) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
In San Juan Colorado, being "my mother's spokesperson" transcends translation. It means ensuring that the hands of Alegoría and many others continue to speak. The legacy lies not in the words but in the gestures repeated a thousand times until the hands remember on their own.
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