Colorado premiere of ‘Woven Together’ at Hygge Life shares story of two brothers forever connected through art

Marcelo Bengoechea has found beauty in tragedy through art, specifically, the photography of his brother, Fernando, and a woven artwork style his brother pioneered with his photos before his untimely death. He shared his moving story and the woven works at the Colorado premiere of “Woven Together Art Pop-Up with Fernando + Marcelo Bengoechea,” an exhibition at Hygge Life in EagleVail on July 24.

Marcelo and Fernando grew up in Argentina and Brazil. Fernando became a photographer and earned worldwide acclaim. His works appeared in well-known publications like Vogue, Vanity Fair, Town & Country, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and more. In 2004, Fernando was killed in a tsunami in Sri Lanka while vacationing with his partner, American interior designer, author and television personality Nate Berkus. Marcelo had a hard time accepting that Fernando was gone and after 15 years went by and a series of personal life-changing events, Marcelo took on the mission to keep Fernando’s art alive.

“I had tried to weave right after his death but felt that it was his art, not mine,” Marcelo said. “Then using a few of the same tools he did and remembering what I had observed when Fernando was doing this weaving process, I completed my first one. And then a second one. I felt connected to Fernando and did not want to stop.”

Woven photography is a long process and entails taking two identical prints and hand-weaving them together to make one image. The result is a rich-looking piece with texture, but more importantly for Hygge Life, is the story behind it.

“At Hygge Life, we feel very strongly about only offering products that are timeless, have a soulful story and are made by skilled makers with high-quality materials. Marcelo’s woven photography checks all the boxes — it tells a meaningful story, is timeless, and is made skillfully by the hands of a kind and creative soul,” said Alexandra Gove, who founded Hygge Life with her husband Koen van Renswoude.

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Pam Sunderman is an interior designer from Fort Collins who frequents Hygge Life and connected Marcelo with the home décor shop. Marcelo, Sunderman and Gove were part of a discussion about the Colorado premiere of the “Woven Together” exhibition.

Marcelo shared how Fernando pioneered the photo weaving technique in the late 1990s.

“It evolved from collages and other photo manipulations he was exploring. Weaving has been around since the beginning of civilization, a common thread that all cultures have,” Marcelo said. “Fernando’s vision of connecting us all made sense as he weaved his art into our hearts,”

Marcelo said each piece takes a long time to weave and he tends to meditate while he does it. He calls it a peaceful and engaging connection to his brother.

“I miss him so much, but I still feel like I’m collaborating with Fernando while doing this,” Marcelo said.

Gove said the pieces they chose for the exhibit resonate with Hygge Life’s clientele.

“In the Vail Valley, we are surrounded by beautiful nature and many of us live here because of our love for the outdoors. Many of the woven photographs we selected for the exhibition are of nature — animals, mountain scenes, waterfalls and trees. And the organic woven texture within the artwork brings warmth to our homes,” Gove said.  

For Marcelo, weaving Fernando’s photographs brings him hope and purpose.

“I feel Fernando’s energy pass through my hands as I weave. Sometimes the feeling is stronger than others. Sometimes I cry but most of the time I am thankful to have found a way to stay close to him,” Marcelo said. “Keeping his art alive brought me hope and a new purpose in life. There is a lot of love and positive energy in each piece. I hope it inspires others to celebrate life and to live life to our fullest potential, just like Fernando did.”

The exhibit, “Woven Together – Art Pop-Up with Fernando + Marcelo Bengoechea,” will be on display until Aug. 30 at Hygge Life.