Mu Naw Poe, Paw Gay Poe, Shuklay Tahpo, Cha Mai Oo, Sara Lindsay and Oenone Oxlade
Full Circle: Karen Tapestry Weavers showcases the brightly coloured geometric tapestries woven by the Karen Tapestry Weavers.
Mu Naw Poe, Paw Gay Poe, Shuklay Tahpo and Cha Mai Oo create joyous woven works using vibrant colours that demonstrate a highly intuitive use of colour and pattern. These tapestries draw on the rich textile traditions of Karen culture as well as lived experiences of displacement and diaspora.
The Karen people are an ethnic group from Myanmar (Burma) who have a strong weaving tradition. The tapestries created by the Karen Tapestry Weavers draw on the rich textile traditions and use of exuberant colour in Karen art and clothing. They work freely on the loom in an intuitive and responsive way, building the designs as they go.
Due to ongoing displacement and oppression many Karen people have fled to refugee camps and migrated to other countries. Through their weaving they reflect on their experiences of displacement and diaspora, drawing on experiences of the long journey from refugee camps to new homes in Australia, and memories of their homeland. The act of weaving is healing, these new contemporary forms are an exciting departure from the limitations of Karen traditional weaving.
Mu Naw Poe and Shuklay Tahpo first learnt to weave tapestries at the Australian Tapestry Workshop in 2013 and have become accomplished and prolific weavers under the mentorship of ATW foundation weaver Sara Lindsay. This knowledge has now been shared between the generations; Mu Naw Poe has taught her mother Cha Mai Oo and her daughter Paw Gay Poe to weave. Through exhibiting and selling their tapestries the family can generate a small income from home whilst meeting care responsibilities. The ongoing Karen Tapestry Weavers project gives these women agency and empowerment, not only to communicate their cultural heritage through the shared language of weaving, but to create a sense of belonging in a new place after lost lives and homelands.
Image: Mu Naw Poe 'Night sky' 2018, cotton, acrylic, 105cm x 80cm and 'Faces' 2016, cotton, acrylic, 104 x 80cm.
