For this project, I was assigned to choose an existing article and redesign it on 3 spreads along with an article cover using Adobe Indesign. 

 

Woven Stories is a magazine article dedicated to the Wayuu Tribe an indigenous community located in Laguajira desert, close to the Colombian and Venezuelan border. They are known as the people of the sun, sand, and wind. As part of their tradition, they hand weave beautiful Wayuu bags. The women of the Wayuu tribe have been hand-weaving these bags for generations. Unfortunately, the Wayuu people are being exploited for their artisanal work by famous fashion designers. Many of these bags represent the natural elements surrounding the Wayuu community and carry spiritual meaning. Each bag takes about 2-3 weeks to make. They also have faced discrimination and exclusion from both the Colombian and Venezuelan governments resulting in the death of thousands of its members. 

 

Through this project, I wanted to create awareness of the exploitation of indigenous communities. Next time you buy a Wayuu bag, think about the hard and beautiful labor behind each one! 

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Article: https://fembotmag.com/2017/10/09/the-exploitation-of-wayuu-artisans-and-their-mochila-bags/

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Photographs by Nicolo Filippo