Embroidered Lives: The Art of the Everyday

Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Purepécha community: From ranch life to embroidery

Community of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. (2023-08-23) by Iván ContrerasSecretaría de Cultura

Inspiration and everyday life

The streets of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, are steeped in ancestral stories. Enedina Lara, Julia Hernández, and Erika Reynoso draw inspiration from every corner to capture the very essence of their town.

Community of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. (2023-09-08) by Samuel Piñón FloresSecretaría de Cultura

The streets of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán.
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Portraits of a life in the countryside

Nature is a living canvas: milpas that sway in green and gold tones, animals that roam the fields, and industrious hands that work the land.

Community of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. (2023-08-23) by Iván ContrerasSecretaría de Cultura

Cultural inspirations

Purépecha traditions have been passed down over the years. Every movement and every smile of the field work is reflected in a fabric.

Purépecha artisan in the community of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. (2023-08-23) by Iván ContrerasSecretaría de Cultura

Life in an embroidery

Inside homes, laughter resounds and the scent of hot tortillas envelops the air, evoking the authentic rural life. Even though these are everyday moments, they are profound and intertwined in the essence of their creations.

Purépecha embroidery in the community of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. (2023-08-23) by Iván ContrerasSecretaría de Cultura

Embroidering with love

Using age-old techniques like "make me if you can" and "mouse's rib," this trio of artists brings life to the daily routine and transforms it into masterpieces.

Purépecha embroidery in the community of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. (2023-08-23) by Iván ContrerasSecretaría de Cultura

Life in fabric

Each piece is more than an ornament: it is a living chronicle of its surroundings.

Community of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. (2023-08-23) by Iván ContrerasSecretaría de Cultura

The land and its people

Art that reflects the majesty of nature and the deep relationship between the earth and its inhabitants.

Purépecha embroidery in the community of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. (2023-08-23) by Iván ContrerasSecretaría de Cultura

Female artists

The most significant works are those in which Enedina, Julia, and Erika represent themselves. Not only as artisans, but as integral women: mothers, daughters, and guardians of customs.

Purépecha embroidery in the community of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. (2023-08-23) by Iván ContrerasSecretaría de Cultura

Hands that embroider history

Beyond embroidery, these women convey a message, a reminder to value and preserve the Purépecha way of life.

Purépecha embroidery in the community of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. (2023-09-08) by Samuel Piñón FloresSecretaría de Cultura

A cycle of daily life

With each stitch, the daily life of Tzintzuntzan's Purépecha community is preserved in fabrics for future generations to feel, touch, and remember.

Community of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. (2023-08-23) by Iván ContrerasSecretaría de Cultura

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