Josh, Ari, Maren and Zall standing on two jars at a Plain of Jars site, Xieng Khuang Province, Laos.

Trekking in Lao Cai Province, Vietnam, with our Black Hmong guide, Sho.

Zall and Ari doing homework by firelight at a homestay in Lao Cai Province, Vietnam.

About Us

Above the Fray: Traditional Hilltribe Art is a home-based business owned by Maren Beck and Josh Hirschstein of Eugene, Oregon. Maren and Josh, along with their two now-teenage children, Ari and Zall, have traveled extensively in southeast Asia. The family has had the unique pleasure of making good friends in villages in Laos and Vietnam during our travels.

We have been particularly smitten with the character, beauty, resourcefulness and art of the people in the remote mountainous regions of Laos and Vietnam. In Laos, we have spent considerable time exploring Houaphon and Luang Prabang Provinces in the north (renowned for quality silk weaving), as well many of the other northern and southern provinces. In Vietnam, we have traveled through and continue to learn about the people in the northern provinces and the Central Highlands.

In these regions are dozens of unique tribal cultures, each with different beliefs, traditions, languages, and forms of artistic expression. Exploring these regions, visiting with the people, and understanding and sharing their beautiful and intricate art has become our passion. Some of our stories about our travel and the artists we meet, including adventures written by Ari and Zall, can be found in our quarterly newsletters.

Maren, who grew up in a house full of looms, has passion for textiles and color-play. Woven and other ornamental arts, especially those born from the Buddhist and animist traditions of the hilltribe people of Southeast Asia, resonate deeply with her. She first visited Southeast Asia with Josh in 1983.

Josh, who also owns and operates a tutoring service in Eugene, offers support and advice regarding the selection of fabrics and other arts, and, along with Ari and Zall, assists in getting ourselves into, and out of, hilltribe villages.

All the photos on this website were taken by Maren, Josh, Ari and Zall.

Maren hiking down the trail with her newly acquired Akha basket near Muong Long, Laos.	Zall, Sukavit, and Ari in a group hug with one of Sukavit’s beautiful shawls in Houaphan Province, Laos.
	Ari, Maren, Josh, andour guide Kaiphet negotiating with a basket maker in Houaphon Province, Laos.

Waiting for our next ride to appear in Khammuan Province, Laos.