Centro Temático Artesanal del Sombrero Wayúu
Cultural preservation meets style
Founder Gary González’s ancestral territory is located in the Wososopo community, in the Alta Guajira of Colombia. From a very young age, he travelled here with his grandmother and learnt to make hats. Verbal transmission in the Wayúu culture is the main tool for maintaining and preserving traditions, which makes the word invaluable for this people. The elders are responsible for transmitting the traditions to the new generations. In the early 2000s, Gary opened and set up the workshop. Since then, he has tried to keep the cultural tradition in the group, not only in his direct family, but also in those with whom he has a kinship.
The work group is made up of 90 people who are responsible for transferring the knowledge and tradition within their family cores and generate income. The technique of hat weaving was brought from Europe, but the raw material that they use for weaving has always belonged to this region.
Where
Centro Temático Artesanal del Sombrero Wayúu
