Hmong Weaving Demonstration and Weave on a Hmong Loom

Weaving Demonstration and Trying Your Hand

Come join us at Maplewood Mall for a fun and interactive event where you can learn all about the art of Hmong weaving with hemp! Li Yang, visiting artist from Thailand, will be giving live demonstrations and teaching how to weave. And the best part? You'll get the chance to try your hand at weaving yourself! Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to explore your creative side and learn a new skill. See you there!

Timeframe

Noon - Meet and Greet

1:00 pm Introduction to Hmong Museum and Li Yang

1:30 pm Try your hand at weaving and other programs

Registration is encouraged but not necessary to attend.

Keep up to date with Li's upcoming weaving workshops and talks here: https://www.xiagallerycafe.com/hmong-hemp-weaving

About

Ms. Li Sawangcharoensap (Lig Yaaj) is a master practitioner of the traditional Hmong art of processing and weaving hemp by hand—a centuries-old craft now endangered by industrialization and displacement. As a member of the Hemp Weaving Group of Khiri Rat in Tak, Thailand, she has dedicated her life to preserving and revitalizing this intricate practice, which includes cultivating, harvesting, retting, spinning, and weaving hemp fiber entirely by hand. Her expertise and lived experience uniquely position her to educate others about this vital cultural heritage. In 2024, her work was featured by RedGreen Rivers in Cloth Origins: Textiles from the Hmong Journey at the prestigious John Michael Kohler Arts Center.

Ms. Sawangcharoensap’s upcoming visit to Minnesota and Wisconsin—her first time in the U.S.—will include a series of events celebrating Hmong women as cultural bearers and tradition keepers. Her presence will offer rare, hands-on opportunities for Hmong Americans and the broader community to engage directly with an ancestral art form that has largely remained unseen outside Southeast Asia.

Hmong Museum is the first museum dedicated to the preservation and education of Hmong culture, history, experiences, and arts. We do this through the creation and collaboration of programs that:

• Document Hmong history & knowledge
• Exhibit Hmong culture & art
• Share Hmong experiences & stories