Weaver. (Photo: Provided)
The line passes through the fingers, through the needles, through the loom, and also through the heart. When crossed with others, it gives rise to drawings, patterns, motifs, and, often, without being perceived, carries with it the feelings of those who guide it. Throughout the month of September, theForum of Culture of UFJFIt intertwines with the art of weaving, fabrics, and embroidery, presenting the public with the exhibition "Between Lines and Affections", on display at the Museum of Popular Culture.
Seeking to value and highlight the richness of these manual practices, largely carried out by women, the exhibition brings together lace, embroidery, quilts made on a loom, crochet, and small sculptures by lacemakers. More than objects, these elements carry stories and represent important manifestations of art, culture, and popular traditions.
It is worth noting that the figure of the lacemaker is part of the Brazilian popular imagination and symbolizes the transmission of knowledge across generations. For many women, this activity also represents an important source of income, and in some cases, it constitutes the only means of subsistence for their families.
Among the items presented are the Bilro pillow. In Brazil, Bilro lace is one of the most geographically widespread techniques. The work is carried out on a cylindrical pillow, supported by a wooden stand and positioned at the appropriate height for the artisan. These pillows are usually filled with materials such as straw, grass, or cotton, and are covered with neutral-colored fabrics in order not to interfere with the view during the making.
The process is generally carried out with natural materials. The bilros are small wooden objects in which the threads are wound to form the braid. On the pillow, a cardboard template is placed, fixed with pins - traditionally, thorns were also used. The choice of these materials is related to the history of the activity: since lace was often made by the sea, the metal pins would end up rusting due to the sea air.
Arriving in Brazil through Portuguese women, the Bilros craft has developed its own characteristics in different regions of the country. The technique has taken on new configurations according to the customs and cultures of each locality, revealing typical Brazilian identities and ways of doing things.
Weaver – Wood – Caruaru (PE). (Photo: Courtesy)
Also attracting attention are the rugs and cushion covers made from scraps, forming unique mosaics. Each piece of fabric has its own origin: it could be a remnant from a floral dress that is no longer used, a pocket from a retired pair of jeans, or even a meter of fabric that was purchased and never used.
Also deserving attention is a cotton quilt made more than 110 years ago by Maria das Dores Nascentes, in Patos de Minas. Produced on a loom, a manual device used in weaving threads, the piece features delicate shades of blue, yellow, and red.
More than just observing the techniques and objects themselves, the exhibition invites visitors to imagine who produced each item, who used those cushions, when the embroidery was made, and what stories might be hidden in their threads. Were they made on a veranda at sunset? In a living room in some small community in the Brazilian countryside? It is in this possibility of imagining and reconstructing memories that part of the magic of the museum exhibition lies.
The exhibited pieces originate from Juiz de Fora, Passos, Belo Horizonte and Patos de Minas (MG); Florianópolis (SC); Guaratinguetá (SP); Caruaru (PE) and Teresina (PI). The diversity of origins demonstrates how the crafts of weaving, knitting and embroidery are present in different regions of the country and deeply integrate Brazilian popular culture manifestations.
For Franciane Lúcia, a conservator and restorer of cultural assets at the Forum of Culture, the exhibition preserves more than just objects. "When we observe a embroidered fabric, a woven piece or a lace, we are not just facing a handcrafted object. We are facing a record of memory, knowledge and identity, in which hands, materials, techniques and stories intertwine," she reflects. "We hope that, when visiting the museum, people can also immerse themselves and imagine the stories and situations of those who produced each of the pieces," she adds.
The exhibition "Between lines and affections" will continue on display until September 25th, with free admission, from Monday to Friday, from 13:00 to 16:00.
More about the narratives
The production of fabrics, weaving and embroidery is intertwined with the history of humanity. Long before the emergence of factories and industrial processes, different peoples were already developing ways to transform natural fibers into objects intended for clothing, body protection, decoration and rituals. These knowledge were passed down from generation to generation, crossed between different peoples and remain, to this day, as some of the most striking expressions of human creativity.
Fibers such as cotton, linen, wool, silk, and plant fibers were transformed through processes such as spinning, weaving, braiding, sewing, and embroidery. However, these practices never had only a utilitarian function: they also carried ancestral knowledge and expressed identities, beliefs, customs, and forms of social organization.
For example, braids appear in baskets, mats, bags, nets, and other objects made from plant fibers. In contrast, embroidery and textiles can feature colors, patterns, and symbols that identify communities, regions, or specific moments in life, such as festivals, weddings, religious rituals, and celebrations.
In Brazil, this tradition combines influences from different cultural matrices, especially indigenous, African, and European, which have met, transformed, and given rise to a vast diversity of knowledge and ways of doing over time. Traditional crafts have been preserved, adapted, and reinvented, remaining alive in objects that help to tell the story and express the richness of Brazilian popular culture.