Embroidering Absence: War Memories of Salvadoran Women Refugees

This talk and public exhibition explore how Salvadoran women, forced into exile during the civil war (1980-1992), harnessed the power of embroidery to confront and heal from absence. Disseminated globally to foster international solidarity, the embroidered pieces encapsulate testimonies of denied massacres, memories of ravaged homes, and ethnographic accounts of exile.

Curator María Méndez, from the Department of Political Science at UTSG, collaborates with the Museum of Word and Image in El Salvador (MUPI) and CDRS to present original embroidery works created by Salvadoran women refugees. Informative panels accompany the artworks, providing context to the historical significance of these embroidered narratives.

The event begins with a short documentary on life in the refugee camps in Mesa Grande, where embroidery workshops took place. This will be followed by a talk with English translation by Teresa Cruz, cultural promoter from MUPI, who embroidered her own story during exile at the age of thirteen, will discuss the transformative power of these embroideries. Food and drinks will be served. Supported by the JHI's Program for the Arts, CDRS, Department of Political Science, Latin American Studies program, Western University, The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador project, and MUPI, the exhibition aims to foster a deeper appreciation of women’s memory work.

Please register for this event.

Related event

Talk: February 14, 1-3pm (in person)
Room 115
Victoria College
73 Queen's Park Cres E, Toronto, ON M5S 1K7

Supported by the JHI's Program for the Arts.