The Artists

Above the Fray: Traditional Hilltribe Art is committed to connecting each unique artist with you, the purchaser. Every item we sell has a purpose and a “story” – a reason for being created in that precise design and manner. When you buy one of our items, you and the artist and his or her culture bond in a vital and profound way. The artists tell us that they are proud and honored to have their handwork and skills treasured by others who live far away, and they hope that the meaning of their work inspires your imagination and connects you with the larger human family.

The artists represented at Above the Fray are the finest weavers and creative artists whom we have encountered in our travels in southeast Asia. Each of the 16 provinces of Laos has its expert hilltribe artists, as do the mountainous provinces of northern and central Vietnam. It is our pleasure and privilege to explore these regions and offer to you the work of its most talented weavers and other artisans. Please see our newsletters for articles highlighting individual artists and villages.

We have been particularly drawn to several weaving villages in Houaphon Province in northeast Laos where the Tai Daeng people devotedly adhere to a tradition of weaving uniquely complex and intricate shaman cloths and healing cloths. The dyes are all-natural, created from the bark, wood, roots, leaves and bugs of the jungle; the silk is locally cultivated. The weavers have spent a lifetime learning the art of weaving these near-flawless sophisticated creations on locally-designed floor looms, and a single shaman cloth may take an individual weaver four months just to weave. The results are stunningly beautiful and make unique opera-quality shawls and wall art.

The Artists: Diverse Traditions

The artists of the Lao and Vietnamese cultures we represent are diverse and represent many dozens of different traditions. Houaphon Province in itself has 22 ethnic groups, and Laos over 100. Vietnam offers dozens of other tribal traditions. Such close-knit diversity offers travelers a unique experience, as a walk of a kilometer may take one from an Akha village, with its Tibeto-Burman traditions, to a Khamu village, with its Austro-Asiatic roots. At a single local market one may find Dzao embroidered aprons selling next to Hmong hemp blankets next to Mien silver jewelry.

Ancient migrations of people from China, Burma, Thailand, and Cambodia/Khmer have created this colorful and dense diversity. Each unique culture brought with it its own beliefs (including animism, ancestor worship and/or Buddhism), its own language and customs, and its unique art as the people settled in the remote and sparsely populated hills and valleys of what is now modern Laos and Vietnam. For detailed information on the specific cultural groups of Laos and Vietnam, please see our bibliography of recommended books.

The Artists: Changing Times

A short lifetime ago, an expert in hilltribe art could view an item and, based on its design, motifs and colors, identify its specific valley or village of origin. But as transportation and national and international pressures increased in the region, these cultural groups intertwined with each other. Indeed, modern weavers and basket makers happily share their motifs and designs with other groups. A few of the artists we have met proudly work to create new patterns based on tradition; most, however, prefer to adhere to the ways of their parents and their parent’s parents.

Many of the weavers, basket makers, and other artists we represent have permitted us to take their picture (you can find these photos on individual gallery pages; when available, the photo is included with your purchase); many of them, however, deny our request, believing that the photo may capture a portion of their spirit, or perhaps out of shyness. Some pieces are also obtained through village cooperatives and markets, and the individual artist, perhaps working in the rice field, may not have been available for a photo. We will provide you with as much information about each purchased piece as we can.

To learn more about Laos and Vietnamese hilltribe artists and their art, follow these links: