2023
Cactus wood, Malva bark, banana fibre
Created and photographed in the Atacama Desert, Calama (CL) during my residency with La Wayaka Current.
Making use of the natural holes in the wood (which resembled pores), fibre was woven in to give the appearance of hair. The repetitive action of laying out the fibre, twisting and then planting them in the holes was therapeutic and reminiscent of domestic rituals. The addition of braids is an inclination each time I see fibre, plants or hair; a reminder of the morning ritual of my childhood during which my mother braided my hair for school. The fifth image shows the work from the back; the fibre is attached using the same method I use for doll wigs.
During the visit to Altiplano, we saw huge cactuses from which little cactuses grew. They presented to me the image of a mother, protective with the spikes, yet resistant and provisional in the tough environment. This theme of motherhood and my relationship with my mother is something I have been exploring in my work.
I wanted to create a sculpture that could be a part of the environment, yet made you pause for a look; an arrangement of naturally occurring objects hinting at the intervention of human hands. For this reason, I sourced most materials from the garden of the residence and sought the sculpture from their characteristics; bark was stripped from the Malva plant and braided into the holes of the found cactus wood.