The ancestral weaver
- Alda Bugeja began weaving when she was 5 years old
- She uses traditional tools and techniques
- She has been teaching weaving since 1999
Today, master weaver Alda Bugeja is one of the few artisans remaining that is specialised in Malta's traditional weaving craft, for which she was awarded the national award for Achievement in Industry in 2000. Weaving has been a part of Alda’s life since her early childhood years. Watching her mother and older sisters skilfully weave intricate patterns, it did not take her long to start experimenting on her own. She is passionate about preserving this traditional skill while ensuring high quality is preserved, both in the raw materials that are used as well as in the weaving techniques employed. Weaving is one of the oldest crafts that has survived in Malta over thousands of years. For centuries it was one of the main sources of income for rural families across Malta and Gozo, with most families owning their own wooden weaving looms at home that they they would use to weave all their items of clothing and bedding.
Interview
- How do your pieces reflect your home island?
- Aside from reflecting the traditional technique of weaving that is a part of our island’s heritage, the raw material of sheep’s wool and cotton is in itself an expression of Malta. For many years, local sheep’s wool and cotton were used to weave clothing and household products, and even traditional folk costumes.
- What do you love the most about your craft?
- Sharing the great passion I hold for my craft. I greatly enjoy teaching, especially to the younger generations, for they are interested and emotionally connected to learning more both about the techniques as well as the weaving skills that cannot be found in books or the media.
- How are traditions incorporated into your craft?
- Traditions lie at the heart of my craft, I use techniques and skills that generations before us handed down to me. The main material that I use for all my weaving is also a reflection of this tradition, continuing in the footsteps of my ancestors.
- What is one thing little-known about weaving?
- While a finished product may appear minimal, it hides the many hours of work that I dedicate to its creation. When people step into my workshop and enquire about a woven piece, they are always surprised to learn of just how many hours are put into creating something that at first glance seems quite simple.
Alda Bugeja is a master artisan: she began her career in 1979 and she started teaching in 1985
Where
Alda Bugeja
