Women Affected by Dams: Embroidering Our Rights

Vernacular textiles as rallying call: 47 arpilleras from Brazilian women that advocate for collective construction of state infrastructure

Arpilleras, colorful patchwork pieces made of scraps of fabric embroidered on jute, originated in Chile in the 1960s as an expression of female protagonism during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. In subsequent years, the vernacular art form has spread across the globe, inspiring activist groups such as the National Women's Collective of the Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens (Movement of People Affected by Dams, or MAB), a Brazilian movement that emerged in the 1980s to demand a popular energy project.
Embroidering Our Rights gathers 47 arpilleras created between 2013 and 2024 by women in workshops organized by MAB throughout Brazil. The artists' textiles address issues of domestic violence; disconnection between land and community; water and electricity access; the impact of dams and river pollution on fishing and family livelihoods; and other human and environmental rights violations.