Uekani

Uekani is a Franco-Mexican assocation created so that the native inhabitants can speak, be heard and sell their creations for what they are truly worth.  ​

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The handcraft culture is gradually dying, one reason is that artists often lose their self-belief due to the counterfeiting industry. Some have even stopped producing instead selling the ‘fake’ products in order to attract tourists to their low cost.

If we do not care enough to preserve the traditions of the indigenous people, we are going to lose one of our greatest cultural heritages

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Uekani means love for the P'urhépecha, the indigenous people of central western Mexico 

"The Love you give to others".

Uekani works in order to remind us how much the world is filled of wisdom to share and beautiful diversity. One of our main goals is to show that textiles can be made with passion and natural products, far away from factory slavery and the use of petroleum-based textiles.

Throughout this wonderful adventure we show you the process, the effort, the patience, and what each hand crafted item represents for these artists. At the Uekani Studio, each piece of craftsmanship is handmade in good conditions with natural material mixing ancestral knowledges & modern trends. 

By enabling you to have an insight into the daily lives of these communities through their creations, documentary videos, photographic reports etc, we can show the world another image of these communities. Our mission is not only to ensure fair trade, but also to communicate about the culture, beliefs, fears, daily life and habits of these people who face a daily struggle to shun capitalism. To value the vibrant ancestral knowledge & wisdom, including the vast artistic diversity that makes Mexico such a magical country.

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It is important for us to offer you this opportunity to see these communities through different eyes.