earthWorks series 1

Bangalore, India

640 x 510
Folding, burying and distressing paper, stitching, collage;
Khadi papers, mosquito gauze, cotton cords and tape, hemp twine, coconut twine, old hand-embroidered and woven textile fragments, thorns, cowrie shells, earth pigments, powder pigments scraped from walls, pva glue

I call these pieces earthWorks because, after folding the Khadi paper, I buried it in the mud for some days and allowed the natural pigments to stain the distressed folds. There was also some rubbing and pounding involved! The finished pieces speak of many aspects of the Indian culture – including its pervasive hand-made crafts and the way everything is folded up for storage.

©miriam louisa simons