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A Happy Weaver
Taiwan Indigenous Handicraft Artist
Ms Hu Hsiu-lan (Nadolan Naga)
Images of Nadolan and her Studio Video Profile of Nadolan and family
Ms Hu Hsiu-lan - as a Truku name, Nadolan means “falling down easily.” For Truku people, they give the kids the name according to their inborn quality and with a hope that the children could develop their gifts and talents accordingly.
For Nadolan, this traditional name seems to work as a reminder and inspiration. Nadolan started to learn weaving since sixteen years old to follow the traditional culture of Truku preparing for her own dowry. In the beginning, her weaving cloth would be cut by her mother on the spot, if she came out with a wrong weaving pattern.
Nadolan Naga had a little studio in Hualien City after she got married, and she began to do some small handicrafts, beads and embroidery crafts, and household accessories, furnishings, knitting decoration, and so on. Gradually, she established her reputation of handicraft design. Therefore, her Truku people invited her to return to their community and teach them weaving techniques; hence she set up the Nadolan Studio to reconnect herself with her natal culture and earlier Truku traditional weaving. Because of some handicraft skills learned from Japanese culture in her youth, Nadolan’s color arrangement in her weaving techniques is more vivid and precise compared to other studio’s craft. Her work presented the diversity of media and materials with delicacy and elaborate designs. Nadolan is not afraid of being imitated by other craftsmen because of her own integrity of creativity.
Today, she leads a very powerful weaving group with great innovation. Nevertheless, they are still learning about the different techniques of weaving. Nadolan Naga says there is no limit for weaving no matter the content or culture; hence she will keep on learning and discovering new ideas and methods.
In the Fall of 2008 Nadolan Naga was awarded the Certification of Traditional Craft by the Council of Indigenous Peoples, the Executive Yuan. In the same year, her craft pieces named in Chinese as “Ru Yi Zai Wo” and “Huo Ling Huo Xian” also received awards and certificates assessed by the team of fine crafts tradition of the Council of Indigenous Peoples.
Nadolan's Weaving Studio
Nadulan Naga Weaving Craft Studio is located at Xiulin near the entrance of the Taroko National Park, Truku people were relocated there – from the upper reaches and valleys of the Central Range in the early 20th century by the Japanese army – down the Liwu River to foothills of the East Coast of Taiwan. Nadulan’s mother was forced trek down to Xiulin at that time. Today the studio is a continuum of Truku weaving from mother to daughter to Nadulan’s son who innovates the craft for his generation.
Further Information
Return to: Taroko Weaver Profile Home
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