Jorgelina Dumasá

Comunidad indígena el 21

Basketweaver

Andres Martinez©Michelangelo Foundation

The bead for the basket

Jorgelina’s baskets reflect a family tradition that has been transmitted down generations
Her baskets can be used for decoration or as utilitarian pieces
She works with iraca palm, a biodegradable material

The art of weaving baskets is common among Colombian artisanal communities. Jorgelina Dumasá makes her baskets with colourful beads as decorative elements. These reflect the colours of the Chocoan landscapes and the Colombian folk motifs. Jorgelina learned this craft from her parents. She started creating her art pieces from a very young age, and today, she is a master artisan in basketry. Her pieces are woven from iraca palm, a biodegradable material that can be used as a fertilizer for the soil. This makes her processes and creations an eco-friendly way to earn a living and share her tradition with the world. Jorgelina’s baskets, in all sizes and shapes, can be used as decorative objects, but they can also serve as containers for multiple purposes. Jorgelina works with her husband Belarmino.

Interview

Andres Martinez©Michelangelo Foundation

Andres Martinez©Michelangelo Foundation

Why did you choose this craft?: It was because this craft represents a family tradition. It is what parents teach their children, a form of inheritance, which allows ancestral customs to be remembered and preserved. Also, this career is our way of making a living.
When and how did you actually start?: I started making baskets when I was 15 years old. I learned from my parents, and I started to have an interest in creating personal-use baskets. These were used to collect corn from the crops in Quibdó, and at that time, they were not sold.
What was the first object that you made?: The first object I created was an iraca palm basket, to collect corn from the crops. It was 60 cm high and it had a strap for my head, to carry the basket.
What is something about your work that people usually do not know?: I craft my baskets with iraca palm, which is a biodegradable material. Once it decomposes, it is used as a fertilizer for the soil.

Jorgelina Dumasá is a master artisan: she began her career in 1982 and she started teaching in 2014