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Wall of tears
Schedule of Upcoming Presentations
Friday, March 27, 2026, 6:30 pm. Tejiendo Testimonio: El telar como registro en el nuevo mundo digital (Woven testimony: The loom as a record in the new digital world.), Museo Textil de Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico, with the participation of Maria Luisa Mendoza, Jacobo Mendoza, Sally Williamson, Yael Lurie and Jean Pierre Larochette.
Thursday, April 23, 2026, 4:00-6:00 pm, Weaving Dissent, with the participation of Yadin Larochette and Berkeley poet laureate Raffael Gonzales. UC Berkeley Latinx Research Center, 2547 Channing Way, Berkeley, California. RSVP here.
Thursday, April 23, 2026, 4:00-6:00 pm, Weaving Dissent, with the participation of Yadin Larochette and Berkeley poet laureate Raffael Gonzales. UC Berkeley Latinx Research Center, 2547 Channing Way, Berkeley, California. RSVP here.
Schedule of Past Presentations
August 3, 2026 World Shibori Network Summer Garden Event, with a presentation by Yael Lurie and Jean Pierre Larochette. View the talk here.
August 3, 2026 World Shibori Network Summer Garden Event, with a presentation by Yael Lurie and Jean Pierre Larochette. View the talk here.
Click here to watch a video of cutting off Wall of Tears from the loom.
Wall of Tears finished tapestry
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Wall of Tears is a collaborative tapestry project conceived by Yael Lurie and Jean Pierre Larochette. The tapestry was woven over period of three months by Jean Pierre Larochette and seven other weavers from Mexico and the United States. Click here to read about this weaving project.
Wall of Tears in progress (left), yarn colors for the tapestry (right)
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From Millefleur to Contemporary: Exploring the Language of Pattern
In early 2026, a cross-cultural celebration of weaving, natural dyeing, and traditional culinary delights took place in El Tuito, Mexico. The workshop was led by Yael Lurie, Jean Pierre Larochette, Maria Luisa Mendoza and Jacobo Mendoza.
Pattern, the compositional arrangement made from repeated lines, shapes, or colors – intrinsic to most textile expressions – gradually lost its strength in tapestry with the influence of the painted model. In the last century, however, with the renewed interest in traditional methods, pattern has regained its expressive potential. Selecting a particular technique from Larochette’s book Anatomy of a Tapestry, participants studied pattern techniques while experimenting within the context of visual narrative.
Jacobo Mendoza, one of the leading weavers of Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, offered an introduction to natural dyeing based on the primary colors. Maria Luisa provided culinary delights from the famed Oaxacan cuisine. They both shared their knowledge of traditional Zapotec pattern designs.
Pattern, the compositional arrangement made from repeated lines, shapes, or colors – intrinsic to most textile expressions – gradually lost its strength in tapestry with the influence of the painted model. In the last century, however, with the renewed interest in traditional methods, pattern has regained its expressive potential. Selecting a particular technique from Larochette’s book Anatomy of a Tapestry, participants studied pattern techniques while experimenting within the context of visual narrative.
Jacobo Mendoza, one of the leading weavers of Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, offered an introduction to natural dyeing based on the primary colors. Maria Luisa provided culinary delights from the famed Oaxacan cuisine. They both shared their knowledge of traditional Zapotec pattern designs.
Jean Pierre Larochette, "The Olive Tree," 18” X 14”, 2025
Anatomy of a Tapestry
Anatomy of a Tapestry: Techniques, Materials, Care
By Jean Pierre Larochette, Yadin Larochette and Yael Lurie-Larochette
The history, legacy, and boundless creativity of weavers over the centuries is the base in this helpful guide for new weavers, seasoned tapestry artists, and enthusiasts. Tapestry weaving is an art form that has been around since antiquity, and these insights from renowned artist Jean Pierre Larochette offer 30 traditional techniques built upon weavers' centuries of work. A fourth-generation French Aubusson tapestry weaver, he gives us a glimpse into the multiple combinations, variations, and applications of techniques that form the art of the weaver. Each technique is exemplified by diagrams, woven models, and examples of possible ways of applying it. Expert Yadin Larochette shares theories and approaches to conservation, including new scientific research to help in the much-needed task of preserving these treasures of human creativity for centuries to come. Along with distilling traditional information on the art, this book's precise written instructions and clear visuals--together with its handy lay-flat binding--assist you in both creating and preserving your tapestries.
By Jean Pierre Larochette, Yadin Larochette and Yael Lurie-Larochette
The history, legacy, and boundless creativity of weavers over the centuries is the base in this helpful guide for new weavers, seasoned tapestry artists, and enthusiasts. Tapestry weaving is an art form that has been around since antiquity, and these insights from renowned artist Jean Pierre Larochette offer 30 traditional techniques built upon weavers' centuries of work. A fourth-generation French Aubusson tapestry weaver, he gives us a glimpse into the multiple combinations, variations, and applications of techniques that form the art of the weaver. Each technique is exemplified by diagrams, woven models, and examples of possible ways of applying it. Expert Yadin Larochette shares theories and approaches to conservation, including new scientific research to help in the much-needed task of preserving these treasures of human creativity for centuries to come. Along with distilling traditional information on the art, this book's precise written instructions and clear visuals--together with its handy lay-flat binding--assist you in both creating and preserving your tapestries.
