Hmong Art

The Hmong are a minority ethnic group of Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and southern China. The history of the Hmong people is difficult to trace, because there are no written records. Hmong history has been passed down through legends and ritual ceremonies from one generation to another.

Throughout the centuries, the Hmong have remained identifiable as Hmong, because they have maintained their own language, customs, and ways of life while adopting the ways of the country in which they live. As a result of the upheavals in Southeast Asia in the 1970's, many Hmong have left their lands, mainly Laos, and resettled in other countries as refugees. In the United States, new generations of Hmong are gradually assimilating into American society while being taught Hmong culture and history by their elders. Many fear that as the older generations pass on, the knowledge of the Hmong will die as well.

~wikipedia

photo by: Jeff Lindsay

One of the ways the Hmong preserve and teach the stories of their culture, is through elaborate and detailed tapestry work, called Pa Ndau - 'Flower Cloth' , Bandao, or 'story cloths'.
In their gorgeous patterns and lines are embroidered ... or appliqued... stories, passed from generation to generation.
I grew up in a North Eastern town that had a lot of Hmong immigrants in it, and as a result we had many of the exquisite cloths in our home.
As a child, the intricate spirals, and brightly colored graphic designs fascinated me.
I have discovered, as an adult they still do...
I am particularly fond of the elephant foot pattern, in all it's varieties