Masterclass: Amuzgo Embroidery
Discover the art of Randa, a Mexican embroidery technique historically used to decorate traditional clothing. Guided by Indigenous artisan Gabina ValentÃn López, this immersive masterclass offers a hands-on journey into a rich, living textile heritage.
PRACTICAL INFO
Date & Time 23 October, 13.00 - 17.00
Location Papegaaisbolwerk 20, Leiden
Level Beginners and advanced embroiderers
Language English and Spanish
The Program
In this four-hour masterclass, learn Randa. A traditional Mexican embroidery technique used by Indigenous women to join and decorate huipils (traditional garment) and handwoven textiles.
Guided by award-winning Amuzgo master artisan Gabina ValentÃn López, you will practice joining cloth with four traditional stitches: Randa de 3 Puntadas, Randa Diente de Iguana, Randa de 5 Puntadas, and Randa de Gusano. Working with hand-spun cotton yarns and naturally dyed threads on backstrap-woven cloth, you will create samples of each stitch on a wooden embroidery frame. An optional tour of the Leidse Deken atelier is also included.
Beyond mastering these techniques, this workshop lets you connect with a living textile heritage. By learning Randa, you help preserve the identity and craftsmanship of Amuzgo women, bringing ancestral traditions into modern creative work.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
History and cultural context of Randa embroidery
How to join two pieces of cloth using Randa
Four traditional Randa stitches
Contemporary applications of the technique
MATERIALS INCLUDED
Mexican naturally dyed cotton yarns
Embroidery Frame
Needles
Hand woven Amuzgo textile samples
The Amuzgo Culture
The Amuzgo (Ñomndaa) people of Xochistlahuaca, in the state of Guerrero, are internationally recognised for one of Mexico’s most remarkable living textile traditions. For generations, weaving has been practised primarily by women, with techniques, symbols and stories transmitted orally from mothers and grandmothers to younger generations.
Creating a single textile may take weeks, months or even a year, making every piece a unique expression of its maker. Woven motifs depict the natural world, ancestral beliefs, personal histories and the cultural memory of the community. Beyond their aesthetic beauty, these textiles embody a living system of knowledge that continues to play an essential role in the social, spiritual and economic life of the Amuzgo people.
The teachers
Gabina ValentÃn López is an Amuzgo master weaver from Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero, on Mexico’s Costa Chica. She began weaving at the age of nine under the guidance of the women in her family, learning the traditional techniques and symbolic language of her community. Following a period of migration to Mexico City, weaving became a way of maintaining her connection to her cultural roots. Today, she is dedicated to preserving and sharing Amuzgo textile traditions, working closely with women weavers from her community and presenting their work throughout Mexico. In 2024, she was awarded the Galardón Nacional de Textil, one of Mexico’s highest honours for traditional textile artisans, recognising her outstanding contribution to the preservation of Indigenous textile heritage.
Inês Queirós is a Portuguese textile artist, researcher and founder of TuYo Foundation. Her practice explores textiles as vehicles for cultural memory, storytelling and social exchange, with a particular focus on preserving endangered textile traditions and natural dyeing practices. Through long-term collaborations with artisan communities, she develops projects that support the transmission of ancestral knowledge while creating new opportunities for cultural exchange. During the workshops, Inês will serve as translator and facilitator, supporting the dialogue between participants and Gabina throughout the learning process.
TuYo Foundation
TuYo Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to preserving and promoting ancestral textile traditions while supporting Indigenous communities through ethical practices. Its primary initiative, based in Xochistlahuaca, Mexico, partners with Amuzgo weavers to develop community-led projects that foster cultural continuity and sustainable livelihoods. TuYo envisions a future where textile communities thrive economically while safeguarding their rich cultural heritage.