August 18, 2011
Craig presents Hmong textile paper at international conference
Geraldine Craig, associate professor and department head of art, delivered a paper in Rio de Janeiro at the Global Studies Conference, July 18-20, with the overall theme "Emerging Societies and Emancipation." The conference is part of a cross-disciplinary, transnational learning community on globalization, and included speakers from Europe, South America, Australia, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, South Korea, India, Canada and the Unites States.
Craig's paper, "Hmong Paj ntaub: A Visual Language of Cultural Change," discussed cross-cultural influences of war and immigration on Hmong textile language, the transition from clothing into new forms, including art quilts or wall hangings, and Hmong textiles as an alternate text to convey history and values in a culture where there was no conventional writing system.