Textiles, human rights activism, and art as resistance: An exhibit of Chilean arpilleras

Document Type

Digital Project

Publication Date

2026

Description or Abstract Statement

Arpilleras are patchwork tapestries created by Chilean women to chronicle their lives during the dictatorship of General Augosto Pinochet from 1973-1990. In the context of widespread human rights violations and the disappearances of their family members, women in the shantytowns of Santiago formed clandestine workshops to create arpilleras using everyday materials such as burlap sacks (where the name arpillera comes from) and scraps of fabric, including clothing from loved ones killed or disappeared by the regime in scenes. This digital project shows research by students in Geography of Latin America (Spring 2025-26) on the arpilleras in Augustana College's collection and the history of arpilleras and human rights activism related to arpilleras.

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