une journée internationale

As you may know, I spend my Thursdays working in Dupont Circle and took advantage of the lovely weather today. Thanks to a last-minute deadline, my boss sent me as her "representative" on an impromptu trip to the Embassy of Chile to view their new exhibition, The Art of Stitching the Ordinary. Despite the small size of the gallery, the works on display were absolutely gorgeous. The exhibition focused on the needlepoint and weaving of Chilean craftswomen from the remote village of Ninhue. Bright colors, strong textures and classic motifs were all blended into engaging and enjoyable textiles, reminiscent of the South American crafts which often pair landscapes with scenes of agriculture, animals and simple architecture. I was particularly attracted to the geometric patterns, some of which reminded me of Missoni prints.

While most of the works were mounted embroideries on canvas, the artists also displayed some crocheted and knitted animals. The nativity-esque scene at left was absolutely amazing--great detail, bright colors show off the creativity and humor of the women. The addition of the peacock and rooster pearched high on the manger add a flare of culture to the scene. Hidden in the corner is a scene of a horse giving birth--a subtle detail that no one noticed until our guide pointed out the second heading that emerged from its' mother. Pregnant yarn animals are bizarre to begin with, but this touch was beyond that!



Following the show, a friend and I switched continents, and ate lunch at a small crêperie: Crepes-a-Go-Go. Walking into the basement-level restaurant brought back memories of a favorite stand in Paris in Saint Germain des Prés, yet this time we had chairs and tables to sit at instead, instead of a curb. That was the only difference: the crepe itself was delicious and had the same blend of savory/sweet taste that I loved so much while abroad. The icing on the cake was their offering of gelato, turning today's adventure into a trifecta of international flavor.

The Art of Stitching is on display at the Embassy of Chile, 1732 Massachusettes Ave NW, Washington, D.C.
Crepes-A-Go-Go is located down the boulevard, at  2122 P Street NW, Washington, D.C.