Oie Slate

Oie Slate is an emerging textile artist and designer with a particular specialization in knit and weave. Her final collection, Vessels, celebrates the impact Indigenous weaving and basketry have had on contemporary craft. Natural plant dyes and visually translated data pertaining to Indigenous communities feature throughout the collection, emphasizing Indigenous resilience and increasing general awareness of Indigenous issues and practices. Oie is committed to sustainability, with all of her final pieces utilizing zero-waste design methods such as constructing specialized 3D looms to weave complete pieces rather than relying on sewing. With an emphasis on craft and ethical production, Oie plans to expand her final collection into a small brand for sustainable knit and woven items.

Vessel 1 – Bulawayo basket inspired vessel depicting the protection of over 80% of global biodiversity by Indigenous peoples even though they only own, use, or occupy 25% of available land.

Vessel 2 – Ikebana basket inspired vessel depicting the US native population (blue) vs. US occupied land (yellow) between 1800 and 1960.

Vessel 3 – Mandjabu fishing trap inspired vessel depicting the Australian Indigenous population (yellows) vs. non-Indigenous population (pink/purple) from the 2016 census by age bracket.

Vessel 4 – Bilum bag inspired vessel depicting an alternative map of Latin America showing the percentage of indigenously owned or designated land in the 12 Latin American countries with the most Indigenously controlled land.