Embera beading workshop with Mami Watta

The Embera Beading is an ancestral way of beading practiced by the tribe in Colombia from more than 300 years ago.

The tribe traditionally beaded seeds and other natural fibres until they were introduced with the modern day material of glass beads taken to them by European Colonial travellers. The tribe took these materials and explored with colours and shapes, and started creating magnificent artworks speaking of their connection with nature, their source of life.

In our workshops we use a thread and a needle and numerical combinations to get patterns formed by colourful tiny beads. With this technique we teach different forms of earring making; we create flower shapes, colourful waterfall (drop-style earrings) as well as flower rings. We also use looms to create bracelets, whether big or small.