A Conversation with Chilean Arpilleras
Karlie Zhao
College
Student Voices
The Back Side Story is a textile book/zine that, with cute and brightly-colored patchwork and embroidery, documents the civilians daily life, sufferings, and resilience under the Chinese government's zero-Covid policy.
Inspired by the Arpilleras made in Chile during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973–90), the Back Side Story acknowledges the values, aesthetics, and political power in Chilean arpilleras by visually referencing their styles and textile techniques.