Lily Hope
Artist & Designer

From our conversation

“When I’m weaving, there’s this sense of focus, responsibility, ever-present connection happening. I’m not alone in the process. I’m working alongside the teachings of my mother, my ancestors, the future generations who are coming to inherit this work.”

Biography

Lily Hope was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, to full-time artists. She is Tlingit Indian, of the Raven moiety. Following her matrilineal line, she’s of her grandmother’s clan, the T’akdeintaan. She learned Ravenstail weaving from her late mother and also apprenticed with her for over a decade in Chilkat. The majority of Lily’s work focuses on making sure new students are learning the technical and spiritual practices in these two premiere finger-twined textiles. Her contemporary works in wool textile and paper collage weave together Ravenstail and Chilkat design—and she is one of few designers of Chilkat dancing blankets. Lily also teaches and demonstrates internationally and offers lectures on the spiritual commitments of being a weaver. She lives in Juneau, Alaska, as the sole provider of her five children.

Visit Lily’s website to read her artist statement and learn more about her current projects.

Interview

Garment Materials as Relatives, Not Resources: Lily Hope
In this conversation, Lily reflects on her journey as an artist honoring the long lineage of weavers in her family and community. She describes the practice of Chilkat weaving as not just an art form, but a responsibility rooted in identity, community and relationship to land. Reflecting on how she connects tradition to modern contexts, Lily frames her work as a bridge between past and future, advocating for an intentional shift in how we relate to materials, clothing and design.