Some thoughts about string and yarn

My attempt at making an Atayal inspired string art

Atayal students' string art about the "Shooting of the Sun" legend

photo by Mikael Owunna
my first weaving lesson

Only recently have I begun to think about the incredible things you can do with string or yarn. It is practical, aesthetic, and used by many cultures to reenact meaningful stories and traditions. Atayal (泰雅) weaving is made from ramie fabric and string. This special yarn is used to create intricate weavings that are transformed into clothes, bags, and numerous goods. For countless generations, weaving is a skill girls learn in order to formally enter adulthood, to prepare them for marriage, and to provide income for the family. The intricacy of weaving traditionally has been used to determine the level of detail of one's facial tattoos.
In many ways, ramie yarn is the heart and soul of so many Atayal women. Two weeks ago, I received my first weaving lesson from an Atayal elder in Nan'ao (南澳) village and could appreciate the intense patience, diligence, artistry, and concentration required to do even the simplest of weavings.

Huichol string painting

During the last two sessions of our class, Mikael Owunna, Jennifer Huang and I introduced the Atayal students to Mexican Huichol string paintings, which use colorful strings to express cultural symbols and its shamanistic traditions. The students created yarn paintings depicting the Atayal story of the Shooting of the Sun. After we reviewed Atayal words, we shared the story, and the students drew their own interpretation of the story on cardboard. Then they glued pieces of colorful yarn to the design. A quote from the Spirit of Atayal: "Atayals don’t have their own character system to record their language, and, therefore, have to pass on their culture and traditions by oral teaching. They did create, however, a pattern system woven into the fabric with which they make their clothes. It’s like a history record worn by every Atayal that silently sends their messages to tribal folks...the spirit of ancestors, ghosts and gods..."