Wool research and design
The designs woven by artists in Teotitlan del Valle have varied throughout the years. Years past, they made sarapes (blankets) that were used as clothing to protect from the cold. These were embellished with designs that stood out in their simplicity and elegance. One such design is of las cenefas who are accompanied on both sides with one or more thinner lines that represented children, symbolizing fertility. Other designs were inspired by iconography reflecting the codices found in pre-Columbian temples and palaces .
At the end of the 1970’s , weavers began making replicas of works of art by artists such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro, among others. Later, in the 1980’s, there was significant influence from and demand for Navajo designs from the United States reflected in weavings.
Bii Dauu considers it important to cultivate and promote the creativity and artistic expression of the Zapotec artist. For that reason the need to constantly research and educate members about Zapotec designs is among their main objectives. With this in mind, they hope that each individual artist will have said design knowledge and use those elements to create original works with their own identity.