Meet Amalia Chiripua

Wounaan Weaver | Papayo Reserve, Colombia

Born in the Papayo Reserve of Colombia in 1960, Amalia Chiripua is a master Wounaan basket weaver with a legacy rooted in both craft and family. She learned to weave from her mother, starting with traditional designs like chocolatillos, cuatrotetas, and the teardrop-like “rain” motif. Over time, as cultural practices evolved and artisan markets emerged, Amalia transitioned to weaving coiled Wounaan baskets—vase-like forms once used for storing personal items and now celebrated as fine art.

Amalia sold her first commissioned basket to OREWA, a regional Indigenous organization, and from there, her work found its way to markets in cities like Armenia, Quibdó, and Bahía Málaga. She’s mastered a wide range of techniques, from wavy and miracle weaves to triangle stitches and the intricate “crab stitch.” Her “fan weave” designs often serve as the foundation for more complex pieces. Now in her sixties, she continues to weave with precision and pride, drawing on decades of skill.

Amalia’s artistry is also deeply connected to the land. She cultivates her own Wounaan palm and dye plants—puchicama, achiote, amargo palms, and quitasol—and shares both raw material and knowledge with her children and other weavers in the community. Her income supports her daughters’ education and the everyday needs of her family, and she remains active in both agriculture and home life.

From canoe journeys to coastal markets to the careful stitching of rain-inspired motifs, Amalia’s work bridges tradition and survival, beauty and meaning—each basket a thread in the story of her people.