# Anita Paillamil

Anita Paillamil is a Mapuche master weaver and researcher who is best known for her weaving work for the collaborative art project known as "Encoded Textiles." She was selected as a part of the Smithsonian Institution's Artist Leadership Initiative and was honored in 2014 by the World Fair Trade Organization for her contributions to the preservation and research on textile art.

## Personal life

Paillamil is from Nueva Imperial. She was part of Fundación Chol Chol, a fair trade organization dedicated to the indigenous Mapuche communities. She also serves as the president of the Asociación Newen Ngürrekafe, an organization dedicated to serving women weavers from the Bío-Bío and Araucanía regions.

## Career
### Work as an Artist

In 2012, Paillamil worked with Chilean artist Guillermo Bert to create his "Encoded Textiles," which combined traditional mapuche weaving with QR Code designs and were featured in multiple exhibits including 'Guillermo Bert: Encoded Textiles' (2012) at the Pasadena Museum of California Art and 'New Territories: Laboratories for Design, Craft and Art in Latin America' (2015) at the Museum of Arts and Design (NY). Paillamil's and Guillermo Bert's, Mapuche Portal #3, from the series Encoded Textiles, was also included as part of the Renwick Gallery's 50th Anniversary Exhibit, 'This Present Moment: Crafting A Better World' (2022-2023).
In 2021, her work was displayed in the exhibit “Meli Newen – Cuatro Fuerzas,” which was sponsored by Temuco Catholic University as part of their COVID-19 pandemic art initiative “Tejido de Fraternidad.”

### Work as a researcher

In 2014, she was a participant Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian's Artist Leadership Program and traveled to the Smithsonian Institution to research Mapuche photographs, textiles and iconography and then share her research with the Indigenous Association Wallontu Witral cooperative, located near Temuco, Chile. During her research, she had also helped reclassify certain items in the Smithsonian Collection. In 2015, Paillamil presented her weaving and represented Chile at the World Expo in Milan.

## Related Resources

Anita Paillamil's TED Talk (Spanish): https://www.ted.com/talks/anita_paillamil_una_mujer_tejedora_en_la_cultura_mapuche

## Resources

* 1 2 Fader, Lainna. "Using QR Codes to Preserve Identity". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* 1 2 Hart, Hugh (2012-10-27). "Mapuche tribal traditions embedded in bar-code tapestries". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* 1 2 "Bringing It Home 04: Anita Paillamil Antiqueo". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ Sandford, Maggie (July 2013). "What's a QR Code Doing on That Blanket?". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* 1 2 Lovelace, Joyce (13 February 2013). "Guillermo Bert's Encoded Textiles". American Craft Council. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ "Latin American Art at MAD - COVER magazine". 2014-12-04. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ "Centro Cultural La Moneda acoge exposición de casi 1.000 tejidos mapuche - Universidad de Chile". www.uchile.cl (in Spanish). 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ "MAPUCHE STORIES WOVEN INTO QR CODES". www.mapuche-nation.org. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ "Territorio Patagonia Verde continúa capacitación de mejora en el arte textil de Futaleufú". El Heraldo Austral (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ "Tejedora de ilusiones: Anita Paillamil y su trabajo por relevar la cultura mapuche alrededor del telar". Servicio Nacional de Turismo | SERNATUR (in Spanish). 2021-03-15. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* 1 2 3 WFTO-LA, Secretaria (2014-12-10). "Anita Paillamil Antiqueo, maestra artesana y líder". WFTO-LA (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* 1 2 3 "Anita Paillamil, textilera mapuche". ArtePopular (in European Spanish). 2015-12-07. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ "UFRO y Fundación Tierra de Encuentro inauguran "Tejido de Fraternidad"". www.ufro.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ Berman, Tressa. "Encoded Textiles | GUILLERMO BERT | Art + New Media in Latin America". mediaartlatinamerica.interartive.org. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ Jensen, Hadley (4 December 2014). "Review of TSA's Juried Exhibition New Directions by Hadley W. Jensen". textilesocietyofamerica.org. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ "Mapuche Portal #3, from the series Encoded Textiles | Smithsonian American Art Museum". americanart.si.edu. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
* ↑ Maldonado, Camilo (2021-08-03). "Inauguran Exposición Meli Newen-Cuatro Fuerzas en el Centro Cultural La Moneda > UCT". UCT (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ "Artist Anita Paillamil empowers other Mapuche women by reconnecting them with their culture". The National Museum of the American Indian. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ "Costume Blanket". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
* ↑ "Artesana Anita Paillamil 1 - Archivo Michelle Bachelet Jeria 2014-2018". archivospresidenciales.archivonacional.cl. Retrieved 2022-11-21.

## External Sources

* "Artist Anita Paillamil empowers other Mapuche women by reconnecting them with their culture" - Paillamil from her time at the Smithsonian Institution's Artist Leadership Program
* "Una mujer tejedora en la cultura mapuche" - Paillamil's 2018 presentation at TEDxUTCInacap