This Friday - Miracle Fibres: From Patagonia to London with Cindy Lilen
This summer I'm hosting The Summer Sessions: Craft & Design, a series of online conversations with craftspeople, designers, academics and storytellers whose work spans continents and disciplines.
These dialogues reveal the human stories behind exceptional work, exploring not just technique but why makers choose their paths and how their craft speaks to our moment.
Our first conversation is this Friday, 20 June at 10am UK time.
What happens when ancient Andean wisdom meets contemporary design on one of London's most prestigious stages? Textile artist Cindy Lilen co-created 'SUR ANDINA', Argentina's acclaimed entry at the London Design Biennale 2025 (on show at Somerset House until 29 June 2025), alongside sound artist Iliana Díaz López through their studio Madre Tierra Designers.
Photos: Left by Cindy Lilen. Centre and right by Taran Wilkhu
Working with merino, vicuña, alpaca, and guanaco, fibres that indigenous communities have relied on for centuries, Cindy creates installations that bridge ancestral knowledge with contemporary practice. Her approach follows natural cycles and sustainable methods, exploring how these materials reconnect us to landscape and cultural memory.
Join us as Cindy shares her journey from native Patagonia to the international design stage. We'll discuss collaborating with traditional communities, the unique properties these fibres offer, and how working in harmony with natural rhythms shapes both material and meaning.
Friday 20 June, 10am UK time (Duration: 60 minutes).
