This exposition is based on my ongoing doctoral research implementing an Art-Based Action Research approach (ABAR) (Jokela & Huhmarniemi, 2018; Jokela et al., 2019) in the field of art, craft, wool, and methodologies for co-design, in which the revitalization of traditional knowledge and various forms of collaboration and craftivism are developed in cycles of artistic practice and reflection (Huhmarniemi & Jokela, 2020a, 2020b).
I am interested in how materials connect through craft processes, but also in the methods that engage learning through collaborative craft experiences, such as acquiring knowledge through the experience of doing work (Dormer, 1994). According to scholars, tactile experiences are crucial to our cognitive development (Piaget, 1973). As Merleau-Ponty (1963) stated, bodily learning is the basis of the human experience and perception of being in the world.
Furthermore, I am studying the complexity of materialism, sustainability, activism, and knowledge sharing in the era of globalization (Cervantes & Huhmarniemi, 2023) and design processes where cultural heritage has been adopted in a conscious and inclusive manner (Suib et al., 2020; Adamson, 2010), as well as the study of exchange of objects, ideas, concepts, and historical world trade (De Lima Grecco & Schuster, 2020). I have studied these themes through artistic workshops and research using wool and workshops that feature Tsik+ri. This Indigenous textile craft practice embodies a unique fusion of values, tradition, and heritage.
Figure 4. Cervantes´s installation artwork "Tsikuri Garden" at the Kumma Puutarha exhibition in Rovaniemi, Finland, 2023, detail featuring a woven piece. Lola Cervantes, 2023.
Parallelly, I have been working on two projects focused on sustainable crafts on the innovative and sustainable use of wool, and these have taken place at the Faculty of Art and Design of the University of Lapland. The first is VillaInno - Wool Innovation (2023–2026), and the second is TB-GOBRA (Team Building for Green Organizational Behavior in Rural Areas). While working on these projects, I have piloted workshops in Sweden and Finland, to open the discussion about craft, sustainable materials, such as Arctic wool (Cervantes, 2023), Indigenous culture, and other topics.
I started to incorporate 100% Finnish wool into my research endeavors and developed this workshop due to its benefits: environmental, supporting local economies, and low carbon footprint. Wool is a natural, biodegradable, and compostable fiber that, when acquired locally, can support regional economies and promote ethical practices. Finnish wool is traceable and prioritizes animal welfare. In addition, it has allowed me to explore sustainable craft practices while remaining connected to local materials and resources (Cervantes, 2023).
I learned the Tsik+ri technique while studying Design at the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi in my hometown in Mexico, in a non-ritualistic context. During that time, I became familiar with the problems of Canadian mining companies exploiting resources on the sacred territories of the Wixáritari. I attended demonstrations in defense of Wirikuta in San Luis Potosi, in which people were asked publicly to participate by weaving a Tsik+ri piece and bringing it to show support (Salvemos Wirikuta, 2011). Learning the technique as a non-Indigenous person and teaching it to non-indigenous people has not been considered problematic in Mexico. These issues have inspired and led me on a journey of appreciation for my Mexican heritage and becoming critical of extractivism. The possibility to learn this technique (Figures 2 -5) has allowed me to take a stand and contribute to the discourse against land appropriation.
As a visual artist with a multiethnic heritage from Mexico, I am constantly challenging the way I perceive the world. My experiences living in different countries have shaped my identity and interactions with others, with meaningful connections to various ethnicities and places.
One of the main reasons why I became a designer, artist, and researcher emerged from the need to serve and provide others with respectfully devised solutions to address the current social, cultural, and environmental issues and help envision a more sustainable and equal future. Currently, there is a pressing need to find better ways of coexisting with nature, and the epistemologies and practices of Indigenous peoples can present new insights (Kuokkanen et al., 2013).
Contemporary Indigenous-related research practices require that the issues emerge from the needs of Indigenous communities instead of those of the dominant society, and this is an essential step in the processes of decolonization: to demolish oppressive structures in society (Kuokkanen, 2010, p. 62–66) and give space to pluriversal knowledge (Kothari et al., 2019) that has been excluded, omitted, silenced, and ignored by academia (Castro & Grosfoguel, 2007). Pluriversal design is now an emerging field of research that features co-designing and creative practices, opposite to modernistic design convention (Miettinen, 2022).
The Art-Based Action Research methodology employed in this exposition integrates academic inquiry with artistic practice. The ABAR method was implemented during the workshops and allowed participants to participate in the learning process through a hands-on engagement, where they acquired and contributed to creating knowledge. In ABAR, these interactions enhance academic understanding by allowing data collection and analysis (Jokela & Huhmarniemi, 2018). Art-based workshops, art and craft appreciation techniques, and participatory experiences enable interactions between diverse stakeholders, promoting empathy and improving visual literacy and cultural sensitivity (Zazulak et al., 2015).
The ABAR methodology aligns with the current discourses on artistic research by fostering interdisciplinary dialogue. It acknowledges the complexities that are not conveyed through traditional qualitative research methods based on verbal or written language (Jokela & Huhmarniemi, 2018) and promotes a holistic understanding that considers historical, social, and artistic dimensions. The ABAR methodology helped to enhance the transformative potential of artistic practices to explore, document, and interpret cultural phenomena. My aim with this experiment was to reconfigure educational workshops by transforming traditional hierarchies to foster collaborative community learning.
