One Man's Trash is a Woman's Treasure...

"One man's trash is anothers Treasure."

So the saying goes. But perhaps we can make that a little more relevant... "One man's trash is a women's treasure."

Here in the Northern aphilippines, the older women use a splendid technique to weave the trash from chips and sachets into all sorts of bags and things. They take discarded sachets and wrappers, diligently clean and fold them, then weave them up. I've been working hard with four different women to apply modern aesthetics to technique and on improving their designs and taking sales from Canada, Spain and Holland.

We're working hard towards an exhibit in Baguio on the 9th. My friend Victor has invited me to show at the Baguio Museum with five other Philipino artists. I am very excited and honored. So too are Brenda and Stanpi, the weavers! Above is the latest design.

My dream is to show much much larger pieces at an exhibition in Berlin. In the meanwhile I am working hard with my local buddy Jed, who has a dream of segregated waste baskets throughout Sagada. We'll soon be running out of garbage to weave unless we call get a recycling system going. Jed's baskets would get that the trash right to the ladies, so they can turn it I to treasure!