Zapotec Weavings
2021
Python, ML
Utilize GAN to generate new patterns for Zapotec weavings as a way of exploring the potential for machine learning algorithms to create novel designs.
Weaving is the artist’s way of keeping their culture alive and honoring nature. Interested in Oaxaca’s weaving tradition, extensive research in Teotitlán del Valle, a small village that retains its Zapotec culture and language, began. The weavers of Teotitlán del Valle reproduce the intricate, ancient designs of their ancestors via a combination of mental recall and memory. Printed plans are unnecessary, as these motifs have been passed down through countless generations and practiced as a way of life for both men and women from an early age. In an effort to create a new, unique weaving pattern, I implemented a GAN with over 10,000 pictures of Zapotec patterns and weaving tools.