Kené means ‘design’ in the native language of Shipibo-Konibo.
Kené refers to the geometric patterns that are embroidered into every garment, and also as an ancient shamanic art form that is painted on ceramics, textiles, and houses. They represent knowledge, culture, history and aesthetics of the indigenous people.
Kené are inspired by the healing visions of the tribe when they consume plant medicines, ayahuasca or pirí pirí. The kené patterns are also sung as ícaros, healing chants. The ability to create kené designs is passed down generation by generation via shamanic rituals involving plant medicine from the Peruvian Amazon. The geometric designs are unique to each artisan. Many designs illustrate the flora and fauna of the Amazon, such as ayahuasca, and animals such as hummingbirds, serpents, jaguars.
Each piece is produced by our in-house team of women seamstresses in the garment district of Lima and embroidered by Shipibo-Konibo artisans in the diasporic community of Cantagallo in Lima, Peru. We seek to innovate with traditional artisan embroidery techniques and forge working alliances with the artisans of Cantagallo, contributing to local community projects.
“Kené Summarizes The Worldview, Knowledge, And Aesthetics Of An Entire People, Their Tradition And Roots In Time. It Is A Source Of Information About Our Origins And The Close Links Between Our Community And Our Lands.”
