OROPENDOLA

The name Oropendola was born in the landscapes of the Savannas of Montería, Colombia. This is one of the places in the world where the Oropendolas live, yellow breasted black birds that weave their nests in the form of pendulums. The name, in addition to the beauty of the bird, echoes the sound of its song. It is a migratory bird, and in Oropendola we migrate to discover different craft skills, as a metaphor for our desire to maintain up to date and enhance our skills.

The driving force of Oropendola is its craftsmen. They are the ones who give life to the designs reflected in pencil and paper, motivate us and make us feel that we are furthering their talent. We work with artisans from Medellin, creating new opportunities that allow them to generate sustainable employment. Providing support from Oropendola’s creative team, we encourage the development of individual skills relating to their traditional craftsmanship.

We look to build awareness through a unique product, which expresses our rich culture, the value of being made by hand, and the dignity of the craftsmanship and its people. We are about pieces that are not only valuable because of the time spent making them but are also priceless due to the stories of each individual who is part of the creation process. An Oropendola piece is like fuel for the spirit, beautifying and enhancing the person who wears it.

Shop Oropendola Products

MACRAME

It is the art of making decorative knots. The origin of the word Macrame derives from the Turkish word makrama, which has its origin in the Persian word mikrama with the same meaning.

When making a macrame design, the artisan uses the technique whilst forming drawings and patterns. To achieve this, they use threads, cords and ropes, amongst others.The basic macramé has numerous knots, among which the flat knot and the cote knot stand out, creating braids to decorate bags or fabrics, planters, lamps, wall hangings and curtains. In the current macramé there are different types of knots or braids that can be made, giving more personality to each design. Nowadays, more than 50 different knots can be found.

This technique was heavily imported into the Americas and specifically the Caribbean. Thanks to the macramé the locals gained the ability to craft items such as hammocks with this resistant ‘’weaving’’ technique, using strong materials such as leather, nylon, canvas or jute.

MEDELLÍN

Medellín is a captivating city, not only for its pleasant climate (it is around 24 ° C throughout the year, for which it is called ‘’La ciudad de la eterna primavera’’ or The city of eternal Spring), but also for the kindness of its people, its delicious food and that paisa charm that makes visitors fall in love. In Medellín the globally recognized Flower Fair is celebrated, one of a handful of places in the world offering such a variety of flowers. Medellín is also the scene of top-level events, such as Colombiamoda, the Book Festival, Expoartesano, amongst many others.