BurBur is a new project conceived by BlindArt and made possible by various stakeholders including the Association of the Sightless, the Latvian Academy of Art, the European Social Fund, and development finance institution ALTUM. It is the first cooperation of its kind in Latvia designed to support social entrepreneurship and provide new sources of employment for people whose road to participation in the labour market is often fraught with obstacles. In this project four sightless and visually impaired women are hired to make five different kinds of design products using an age-old Japanese shibori technique. By adapting this method to the contemporary aesthetic standards and technological opportunities, the sightless and visually impaired people create unique fabrics in various 3D textures striking the perfect balance between handicraft technologies and innovation. The collection includes interior and fashion design products. The production of every material requires tremendous care and effort making each product truly unique and distinctive.
