sajata-e

This past weekend I had the fortunate opportunity to attend the Rhinebeck annual Sheep and Wool Festival. It's a family event but mainly a convention for fiber and textile artists to meet, see the latest in fiber arts and buy some yummy fall goodies for the season.

For me, I get the do my annual studio purchases for the upcoming season. I also get to scout out new sheep breeds I have never worked with that will hopefully shape my next collection of designs. This year I decided to purchase one of the oldest known sheep breeds, the Karakul.

Here is a snippet from the Wiki about the breed:

"Karakul or Qaraqul (named after Qorako‘l, a city in Bukhara Province in Uzbekistan) is a breed of domestic sheep which originated in Central Asia. Some archaeological evidence points to Karakul sheep being raised there continuously since 1400 BC.^[1]

Hailing from the desert regions of Central Asia, Karakul sheep are renowned for their ability to forage and thrive under extremely harsh living conditions. They can survive severe drought conditions because of a special quality they have, storing fat in their tails. Karakul is also raised in large numbers in Namibia, having first been brought there by German colonists in the early 20th century. They are currently listed as Endangered"

The fiber is super lush and spins up like a dream. I see why this is widely sought after. Sadly, the Karakul Sheep babies are constantly in danger of being slaughtered due to the fashion industry. Its fetal pelts are used in couture fashion and sometimes the mother is killed just to get to the fetus and it's soft and silky pelt. The Karakul fiber obtained here is from a farm in Upstate, NY and the adorable sheep is 2 years old. The Upstate farmers in NY sell their fleece in Rhinebeck to offset the cost of running their homesteads and unless they are raising the flock for meat they usually never slaughter so this young sheep is safe.

This fleece is currently being processed and sorted. Once the packing is complete I will be listing this breed along with some hand-carved spindles in the shop. I will also be releasing some Karakul yarn blends as well.

I also want to talk about some of the new designs and the revamping of the Official SAJATA-E shop but that is a lot of info to unpack. I will post a full article on that shortly.

Farming in Hong Kong

It's been one year to date since I have been in Hong Kong. So much has happened since that time. The time I spent researching sustainability in design and deciding how I wanted to proceed with my future.

Before leaving for Hong Kong I wasn't in the greatest of places professionally and personally. On the surface, it seemed like I had a really cool life. I was getting paid well, I was building my community with partners, and I was thriving as an artist. Guess what... most of all this SUCKED! The Bronx was and still is undergoing a huge gentrification issue. I will not discuss my political views but I will say as a native Bronxite born on the mainland and running my practice here for the last 20 years this fight has left a poor taste in my mouth. No one, not even so-called community organizers have a real grasp on what is truly needed in order to create a healthy and thriving Bronx community for its residents and small business workers. I needed a change and I needed it fast. For the last year, I had been working on an opportunity to work in Asia for a while (Hong Kong and Taiwan) and the deal fell into place. With the help of the Asian Cultural Council, I became their 2018 Arts Fellow with my research in sustainability in CRAFTS artisanship.

The DOOOR Arts Space at YMCA Hong Kong

In my work abroad I was able to meet, interview, and study many artisans in the field of natural dye, farming for product/food and other sustainable artists.

I was also able to view another way of living. A more peaceful way of life. This was something I had been searching for.

Hong Kong Temple

For most in Hong Kong, their issues were just like my issues back home but they had another approach to them. I learned that there is a time to speak up and there is a time not to be so outspoken for this will not get you what you want. This will not solve the mission.

Clara Cheung C and G-Artpartment

Most importantly, I learned how to edit my work life. Not everything is meant to stay with you forever. We grow, we change, we become better. For that change to occur we must rid ourselves from the stuff that is keeping us from progressing.

When I arrived back home I completely tore my company and my studio apart! I kept what was working and left the rest behind. With a better work/life balance, I have been able to create a life I am finally proud of. I sleep well knowing from this experience I became a better person.

All of my research was compiled into a video docu-series called FROM BRONX TO HONG KONG. you can watch the footage of my journey on my YT Channel Here.