A Wayuú legend tells that a hunter rescued an orphan girl and brought her home. At night, she transformed into a beautiful weaver capable of creating magical pieces with the threads that came from her mouth. The young man discovered her secret and she asked him not to tell anyone, but he broke his promise and she became the Weaver Spider. wale’kerüthen disappeared forever, leaving its weavings so that the Wayuú people could learn this art.
Iris Aguilar Ipuana (La Guajira, 83 years old) is the daughter of this tradition and also of two families of weavers who inherited their wisdom. Since she was little, she learned the basics, and when she hit puberty, she had to follow the ritual of “confinement”, a period of time in which one stays away from the outside world so that the girl’s body is protected while she transforms.
During these three years, her mother instilled in her the tradition of weaving: “She dedicated herself to teaching me while she was locked up there. And this school was a great experience for me. I learned how to make cotton thread,” she recalls. This time also served to cultivate concentration, patience and creativity, essential in this profession, and always accompanied by the spirit of wale’kerü.
When she received recognition as a teacher of teachers from Artesanías de Colombia in 2017, Aguilar Ipuana said that this award should go to her mother. “Everything I am, I am because of my mother,” he says. Four years ago, his mother died. Although she lived to be 104 years old, she admits that her departure plunged her into deep mourning which took her away from the loom: “Her death shocked me. I stopped weaving, I left everything behind. At the moment I am back on the right track, I am already getting back into it.”
Knitting requires a lot of concentration and time. “You have to understand the mathematics. If you lose a thread, you haven’t done anything, you have to start again and be very careful,” he explains. “Everything is worked on the loom, with the fingers, the mind and the joy of following the creations. »
He clarifies that none of the designs are based on a drawing or sketch, it’s all in his head. “You have to keep the drawings in your head, nothing on paper. » Memory and concentration are necessary. And this is perhaps the greatest difficulty and the reason why this art is threatened.
This is why he insisted on transmitting his knowledge to anyone who wishes to receive it. This makes her happy and constitutes her contribution so that Wayuú art is known and does not die. Faced with the possibility that the fabric might incorporate some sort of technology that simplifies the process, she resists: “It wouldn’t be as traditional anymore. »
In 2016, he led the creation of the National Federation of Wayuú Artisans (FenarWayuú), which has 1,500 members and aims to strengthen the marketing of their products and the dissemination of their art. It is thanks to this federation that an alliance was concluded with the famous Totto brand so that nearly 1,000 weavers, with Iris Aguilar at the head, produce some 4,000 unique pieces which will be marketed inside and outside Colombia, in a special ethnic edition.
However, one of her greatest satisfactions was being chosen to design and make the ornaments that Pope Francis wore during his visit to Colombia in 2018. “I was very happy, my mother was still alive. We consecrated together with my cousins and it was something very big and special for us because it was for him.”
Iris Aguilar Ipuana has spent her entire life teaching other women, both inside and outside the Wayuú community. She now plans to set up a warehouse in Riohacha, where she could sell yarn and show off her town’s art. And he does not rule out the idea of founding a school and a museum that would show the world the tradition of weaving.
In July 2025, Telecaribe broadcast the documentary series Pride of copper skin to pay homage to prominent members of the Wayuú culture. Aguilar Ipuana is one of the protagonists. “I am a Wayuú woman, proud of my ancestors and in love with my art,” she rejoices.
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