Wence & Sandra Martinez

Decorative Fiber

Wence & Sandra Martinez, Discusión. Tapestry. Natural and undyed fibers, sustainable production process. Dimensions: 50” x 39” ©Wence & Sandra Martinez 2017. Courtesy of the artists.

Wence, a master tribal weaver, and Sandra, a biomorphic painter, have collaborated for nearly 30 years on dynamic tapestries for the wall or floor.

Their creative process begins with Sandra’s weaving studies, painted on paper using primitive imagery evoking our shared human connection to nature and each other.

Wence translates the studies into woven form, hand-spinning churro wool sheared from local sheep and spun by local elders. He often opts to highlight the beauty and color variations in un-dyed wool; for more vibrant tones, he hand-dyes the wool with natural local materials like indigo, cochineal, lichen and pomegranate skin.