Fredy Ginguimia: Wounaan Weaver, Sister of Sara
Meet the Maker · Majé, Darién
Fredy Ginguimia
Wounaan weaver from Majé. Sister of Sara. Master of the pawprint and her own dye pots.
Fredy Ginguimia, Majé, Darién, Panama.
Born in the village of Majé in the Darién rainforest, Fredy Ginguimia began weaving when she was 12. What started as a village game became her work. Her older sisters were already accomplished weavers, and they pulled her past the basics into the precision and creativity that now define her baskets.
Weaving beside Sara, sharing a name and a workshop
Fredy began with geometric patterns, then progressed into florals, eventually mastering more complex designs like the pawprint, a motif she favors for its difficulty and expressive potential. She often weaves in the company of her sister Sara Ginguimia, who is known for her bold red and green feather patterns. Over four years, Fredy refined her stitching technique, her eye for form, and her understanding of natural materials.
"Fredy weaves beside her sister Sara."
— Jen, RFB Woven ArtHer own palm, her own colors, her own family
Her husband, also a craftsman, helps gather chunga and naguala palm from the mountains, while Fredy prepares and dyes the fibers. Some artisans in the village pool palm and dye in larger groups; Fredy prefers working with her own colors and sharing time with her family.
She lives in Majé with her husband and their three sons, and her baskets carry the precision of a weaver who learned by watching her sisters' hands.
— Jen
Frequently asked questions about Fredy Ginguimia
Who is Fredy Ginguimia?
Fredy Ginguimia is a Wounaan basket weaver from the village of Majé in Panama's Darién rainforest. She began weaving at age 12 and works in geometric, floral, and pawprint designs. She is the sister of master weaver Sara Ginguimia, known for her red and green feather motifs, and the two often weave together.
How is Fredy Ginguimia related to Sara Ginguimia?
Fredy and Sara Ginguimia are sisters. Both live in the Wounaan village of Majé in Panama's Darién and weave alongside each other. Sara is known for her signature feather motif, often in bold red and green; Fredy favors the more difficult pawprint motif and also works in geometric and floral designs.
What is the pawprint motif in Wounaan basketry?
The pawprint is a complex Wounaan design Fredy Ginguimia favors for its difficulty and expressive potential. Another Majé weaver, Lubecia Membache, is the most recognized master of the pawprint motif — her baskets show the pawprint rising from a base of colored leaf shapes with a diamond rim. Fredy weaves the pawprint as one of several signature designs in her repertoire.
Who else weaves in Majé?
Majé is a Wounaan village in Panama's Darién rainforest and a quietly important source of fine basketry. RFB Woven Art works with several master weavers there, including Fredy Ginguimia (pawprint, florals, geometric), her sister Sara Ginguimia (feather motif), Yoli Ginguimia, and Lubecia Membache (pawprint master). The Ginguimia name recurs across multiple Wounaan villages.
