Story Weaving Guanabana

Guanabana bags are hand-woven by the women of a small Latin American community spanning the border between Columbia and Venezuela. The desert of La Guarija Peninsula is home to matrilineal Wayuu tribe, where women are at the heart of a life untouched by modern culture.

A symbol of wisdom, intelligence and creativity, the practice of weaving Mochilas Wayuu bags is passed down generations of mothers to daughters. Embracing the richness of Wayuu tradition with a European influence, each bag is unique to the weaver and spins their story through the use of colour, shape and pattern. A single bag is the outcome of up to a month's work and the practice is now a means of income for the Wayuu people, allowing them to continue to preserve their unique way of life.