Elvira Espejo Ayca on Decolonising Art Education Through Andean Weaving

In an essay published by Afterall on March 1, 2021, Elvira Espejo Ayca critiques the Eurocentric and Kantian foundations of art education, which she argues have imposed a hierarchical division between fine art and handicraft, particularly in Latin America. Drawing on her experience as a community artisan and weaver, she introduces Andean concepts such as uywaña (mutual creation), jaqichaña (gathering materials), and luraña (action) to propose an alternative, embodied pedagogy rooted in communal and sensory learning. The essay was originally part of ArtSchool's Decolonisation in the 2020s series, in partnership with Museu de Arte de São Paulo, UAL's Decolonising Arts Institute, and Goldsmiths Department of Visual Cultures. Espejo Ayca recounts a visit by weavers to a museum where textiles were displayed on hoops like paintings, making it difficult to read their structure; she advocates for three-dimensional displays and collaboration between makers and curators. She calls for bridging theory and practice to create a more inclusive art education that honors indigenous knowledge.