Textile Details

'La gente necesita trabajar/ People need work', Anonymous. (Photo: Colin Peck)

In this piece the shortage of work, a burning issue of daily life is portrayed: The men and women depicted appear to be discussing their worries about unemployment, perhaps having come to the municipality building to seek work and seen the "no vacancies" sign hung on its door. In keeping with the arpillera tradition, the sun still shines from behind the mountains, reflecting, perhaps, that there is still hope.

This arpillera made in Chile circa 1975 has passed through many hands. It was brought to Ireland by a Spanish priest who had received it from a priest in Chile. In Ireland, the priest gave it to his sister Rosario Miralles, an activist with Chilean women's solidarity groups. When Rosario came to Northern Ireland she gave the piece to Conflict Textiles curator, Roberta Bacic. Rosario went on to acquire more arpilleras in the late 1970s.

Textile Detail Image(s)