Heritage & Society: Tree of Life
Family is everything to me.
It’s how I founded Nena & Co.; with my parents and husband. I dragged them throughout the country of Guatemala not just finding weavers but actually finding long lost family members. We visited cousins excited to meet their “American cousin”, walked the farm that my Abuelita (grandma - who is in this photo with me and my mom and girls) grew up running around on and paid our respects to family members that have since passed on at various cemeteries. What an incredible thing connecting with family is. Finding or remembering where I come from is one of the greatest things I’ve been able to do for myself.
The Tree of Life which can be interpreted as the Love of God is a symbol found in very special traditional Huipils and is actually one I’ve had in my personal collection for a long time and is one I love. I love it so much that I wanted to interpret the Love of God as a Family Tree because of the importance I personally place on family. Families come in so many different forms but the important thing is to find your people and love them with your whole heart.
Introducing The Tree of Life.
Warmly,
Ali