Indigenous communities around the world must continuously safeguard their traditions against social, economic and political pressures. Craft making is a practice where traditional beliefs, knowledge and aesthetics are passed on from one generation to another. Craft objects therefore, present a lens through which contemporary Indigenous identity formation may be understood. In this research, Osorio Iregui focuses on the basketry of the Wounaan, an Indigenous community in Colombia, to provide insights into how factors like migration, the craft market and gender performance influence modern Wounaan basketry practices and their identity.
Based on collaborative work with Wounaan female artisans in urban Colombia and research in ethnographic museums and archives, this research shows how the migration of the Wounaan from their traditional dwelling places into urban areas has significantly affected all aspects of their life. In an urban context, basketry has become a substantial source of income for Wounaan women and their families. As their basketry gains more popularity within growing craft markets, the aesthetics, value and meaning attributed to these baskets has also been influenced. Within this changing context, women’s traditional gender roles are also critically reflected upon and reevaluated.
Osorio Iregui’s study of Indigenous craft objects contributes new knowledge into how Indigenous communities continue to find ways to survive in an increasingly challenging world.
Live stream of the Public Defence
Trial lecture
Designated topic: "Ethnographic methods in collections research"
Monday 17 June 2024, 10.15 am Auditorium 2, Sophus Bugges hus
Live stream of the Trial Lecture
Evaluation committee
- Professor Paul Basu, University of Oxford (first opponent)
- Fil. dr. archelogy Adriana Muñoz, Museum of World Culture Göteborg (second opponent)
- Associate professor Hugo Reinert, University of Oslo (committee administrator)
Chair of the defence
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Professor Rune Svarverud, University of Oslo
Supervisor
- Professor Gro Birgit Ween, Museum of Cultural History