Conversations With Artists: Firew Konjo
This online talk is part of the EcoCreative Cluster 2022 Programme: Nurturing Creativity, Piece by Piece. Funded by Creative Scotland.
Online Talk with Firew Konjo
Date: Thursday 27th October 2022
Time: 6.00pm - 7.00pm
Place: Online via Zoom
Age: All ages
Cost: Free
Booking is essential for this event
Join us for the fourth episode in our new series of EcoCreatives ‘Conversations With Artists’. Every month for five months we will invite an artist/practitioner from a different part of the world to share their creative practice and exchange viewpoints in an informal online talk. All artists use locally sourced natural materials and natural dye techniques for their practice. By exchanging knowledge and experience, we aim to weave a wider network of practitioners and practices with our own community here on the West Coast.
In this free online artist talk, curator Naoko Mabon will be in conversation with Firew Konjo, the Founder and General Manager of Shimena, a textile brand and workshop in Arba Minch, southern Ethiopia.
Established in 2014, Shimena produces hand woven textile products with locally sourced raw cotton and dye materials. In his youth, Firew noticed the decline of the region’s 2000-year-old tradition of producing the finest fabrics on handlooms, due to the cheap imports. To take action, Firew sought to save the craft industry and in 2018, won the Mandela Washington Fellowship for young African leaders and attended academic and leadership training at Dartmouth College in Hanover, USA. Under the Shimena’s slogan “weaving friendships,” Firew focuses on training the youth and promoting women entrepreneurship in the community to make a sustainable option for the next generation.
This session is held via Zoom. An invitation link will be shared via email ahead of the event with all registered attendees.
Image credits: ©Shimena
Conversations with Artists. Collection of textile art images by the artists.
EcoCreatives: Series 1 Playlist
You can also watch all episodes from Series 1 of ‘Eco Creatives: Conversations With Artists’ on our YouTube channel.
Series 1 Artists:
Project Funding
This project has kindly been supported by Creative Scotland.
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