To read the Diné (Navajo) translation of this story, click here.
When Kevin Aspaas started raising his own sheep six years ago, he took his place among his ancestors, carrying on a tradition of flock- to-loom weaving that stretches back generations. But for the Diné (the preferred term for Navajo) weaver from Shiprock, New Mexico, achieving his childhood dream was hardly a given. Although Aspaas learned how to weave at age 10 while sitting at the upright loom with his mother, no one in his family owned sheep. “My paternal grandparents raised them, but when they died, nobody wanted to take care of animals anymore,” says Aspaas. Adding to the urgency of his dream: The particular breed Aspaas tends—Churro, which have a special significance in Diné culture and gave rise to the saying “Sheep is Life”—is critically endangered.
Aspaas stands beneath Ship Rock, a sacred landmark in New Mexico known by his people as the Rock With Wings. Born for Water, a wool textile pattern he created for Schumacher, is worn draped in a ceremonial manner; Aspaas’s earrings were made by his late uncle Dan Jackson, a noted silversmith.
Ryan Heffernan
Aspaas is wrapped in his Pathway design, which draws inspiration from his uncle’s silverwork, his maternal grandmother’s weaving, and antique chief blankets.
Ryan Heffernan
A panel of Born for Water hangs on Aspaas’s paternal grandmother’s hogan—or ceremonial house—watched over by his dog, Bailey.
Ryan HeffernanSo too is the art form that Aspaas practices. His labor-intensive process is carried out entirely by hand, from shearing to carding, spinning, and dyeing the wool. “People think weaving is the hardest part, but it only represents about 10 percent of the work,” he explains. For his dyes, Aspaas forages natural ingredients like indigo, wild carrot, and cochineal that brilliantly color his work—along with the 16 shades that his sheep naturally produce. “It’s mind-blowing to watch the yarn change color and know that all of this comes from nature,” he says. “When I look at the whole picture, I’m able to stand in the moment and be grateful to the plants and insects, to my mentors, to the sheep, to the earth.”
A blanket made from Monsoon warms January, a donkey that belongs to Aspaas’s close friends. All fabrics by Kevin Aspaas for Schumacher, schumacher.com.
Ryan Heffernan
“Utilitarian objects and art can be one and the same—that was the original intention of our weaving,” says Aspaas, whose Pathway textile is woven from heavyweight wool and cotton.
Ryan HeffernanAnd when he sits down at the loom, he sits with intention. “Your work is always changing and growing in an upward motion,” the artist explains. “The bottom represents the earth, the top represents the sky. When you’re sitting at the loom, you’re sitting at the world, and the repetitive back-and-forth motion is spiritual. It’s a chance to wash away negativity in a way that keeps us hopeful for what’s ahead of us in life.”
“When I look at the whole picture, I’m able to stand in the moment and be grateful to the plants and insects, to my mentors, to the sheep, to the earth.”
Kevin Aspaas
When design house Schumacher approached Aspaas about collaborating on a textile collection, he saw it as a way to move his people forward. “Growing up, businesses that used the Southwest aesthetic never worked with people in our community,” he says. “But Schumacher really involved me, they acknowledged that Navajo textiles are renowned, and this adds another layer to our story.”
All the textiles are based on designs Aspaas created for traditional Diné garments and adapted as interior fabrics with the help of Natalie Horvath, Schumacher’s former design director. “Kevin’s work comes from a place of sincerity and dedication and it was essential to ensure the spirit, craft, and integrity of his work came through clearly,” says Horvath.
Born for Water is decorated with a motif known as Spider Woman crosses, representing the deity who taught the Diné people how to weave. “The act of weaving in general is a prayer for rain, for snow, for moisture, which we need not just to replenish ourselves but also the land, the plants, the springs in the mountains,” says Aspaas.
Ryan HeffernanFrom the incredible drape to the natural richness of the colors, Aspaas praises the fabrics as a faithful representation of his own handwork. “My hope is that they bring happiness, blessings, and joy to the individuals who have them in their homes,” he says, “and that they serve as a reminder of the people who these designs belong to.”
To see the full Kevin Aspaas for Schumacher collection, head to schumacher.com.
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 19 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!
