I'm Denise, weaver & embroiderer from Argentina.
ENCOUNTER
My interest in textiles and their traditional techniques was first brought to me by handmade bags called 'yicas,' made from the chaguar plant in northwestern Argentina. I was young and fascinated mostly by their beauty and scent.
But over time, I began to understand the deep significance and art these utilitarian objects carry: the ancestral narratives, their connection to the land, and the identity that continues to resist colonial histories. Textiles carry stories, and this is the main reason I am drawn to these crafts.
BEGINNINGS
In my early 20s, my grandmother gifted me her collection of old threads. I began experimenting with hand embroidery on my own and on friends’ clothes, and soon started working on commissions and teaching.
I took various courses with artisans in Argentina, such as natural dyeing and basketry, which led me to discover loom weaving, a technique that resonated with me from the very beginning.
RAW MATERIALS
I weave on a traditional heddle loom, creating designs that are both textured and minimal. The individuality of my products comes mainly from the wool I use: sourced from Latin origins, it’s raw, irregular and processed by hand.
Each piece holds traces of the landscape that produced its fibers and of my hands that crafted it.
PURPOSE
I believe handwork is of great importance in this modern world. There’s always a physical memory of the time spent in the making, and it’s a deliberate choice to value slowness, craftsmanship, and sustainability.
All woven shawls, garments and items I design are crafted slowly and with intention in my home, in Berlin.
In my ongoing search to connect with my roots, I participated in the itinerant textile residency Mapa Textil in 2024, held in Valle Sagrado de los Incas, Cusco, Peru.
Through a combination of seminars, workshops, and exchanges with master weavers from various communities, I was introduced to ancestral weaving techniques, Andean textile semiotics, Pre-Columbian textile arts, and the relationship between textiles, agriculture, and the festive calendar.
The residency was a deeply reflective and collaborative experience, weaving connections not only through threads but also across cultures, landscapes, and personal stories.
More on the journey, here.
Apulaya Andesmanta - Centro de Estudios Andinos
ALQA - Museo de Arte Popular Andino
Comunidad de Accha Alta - Familias Layme y Mendoza
Warmis de Kacllaracay