OUR STORY
We are committed to promoting the timeless art of hand-weaving, to celebrating our culture, and to building a socially responsible business that empowers artisans to be creative and earn fair, livable wages for their craft.
who we are
Humla Handmade began as an idea to revive the art of back-strap weaving in Nepal. This particular style of weaving is from the far west mountainous region of Humla. It is traditional to these lands and represents our culture and heritage. With the shift to modernization much of this art form is begin set aside and forgotten about.
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Our goal is to encourage the community to rekindle their passion for weaving by showing that it is still relevant and desirable in today's world, that it can create sustainable livelihoods for rural artisans like themselves. We want the knowledge to be passed on to the next generation and the next, thus preserving this important art form.
By using only local and natural materials, mainly wool and hemp, we support Shepards and small farmers in the region directly as well, while respecting the environment. As we grow we hope to educate and empower many craftspersons who have this art engrained in them.
how we began
Umesh grew up in Nepal’s capitol city, Kathmandu, away from his hometown and family. After 14 years he finally had the opportunity to visit his relatives in Humla. That's where he first saw women gathering, smiling, and weaving beautiful rugs together outside their homes. Umesh was astounded by these women's talent and couldn't believe he had been missing this his whole life. Growing up in the city, he understood how rare and special this style of weaving was, and if not recognized and passed on, this art may be lost.
Badam, Umesh's aama (mother), had learned the valuable skill of back-strap weaving as a young woman growing up in Humla. But a lot changed in her life over the recent years, bringing her to the capitol city also, and forcing her to set her tools and passion for weaving aside. Umesh had seen how much joy weaving had brought his aama back in Humla. He saw that she missed home and thought that by weaving perhaps she would feel more connected to her roots that were so far away now.
He encouraged his aama to pursue weaving again to bring this technique and Badam's passion back to life. Seeing her sit at her loom after many years inspired Umesh to establish this social enterprise to serve his hometown and preserve this art. These days you always find Badam at her loom in her garden, creating beautiful, classic, yet modern pieces that honor her heritage and are relevant for today.
founders
Umesh Bohara and Badam Bohara
We are mother and son, co-founders of Humla Handmade. We are artisans and craftspeople from Humla, Nepal. We thank you for being here and for being a part of our story, it means so much to us to be able to share our traditional weaving and have people appreciate it as an art form. This has been passed down from our ancestors as a means of keeping warm, as an offering to the gods. Weavers in our village typically only weave one rug or blanket a year as it takes many resources, people, and much time to be able to create one beautiful masterpiece from scratch. Upon completion it's a celebration, and becomes a representation of prosperity. We tell you this to show how important weaving is to our heritage and what an honor it is to be weaving for you.
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