Birthing Anew
In Between
| In the Fall of 2001, I
was invited to be in an art exhibit called "Far from Home." My art often
addresses the light in lucid dreaming or spontaneous organic inner forms.
How could I address the subject of home in my art? I did not know where to
begin so I started to incubate dreams about home.
Dream: Janurary 12th, 2002 I am sitting on a rocking chair with a raw canvas on my lap fringing the top and the bottom of the canvas I suddenly realize I am making a carpet. Upon awakening I went straight to my studio and made a small sketch. From then on I was haunted by drawing little miniature carpets. In the process of making many drawings, I kept asking, "Where is home?" I explored the meaning of magic carpet, prayer carpet, vehicles of transformation and received many insights from the dream. The dream was brining me close to my roots and the essence of my quest for this particular exhibition. Is home where I was born? Is home what I create? Is home on the land where I walk? Is home a mind space? One day I sat on my rocking chair and began fringing raw canvases to put my body back into what the dream was. I continued asking the question, "Where is home?" Taking each thread out of the canvas became an act of prayer and an intention for understanding the deeper meaning of home. By each thread insights poured out of me, emotions engulfed me and clarity embraced me. I made a total of 15 (12" x 18") and 10 (18" x 38") canvas/ carpets paintings going deeper into the question. The question of "Where is Home?" is not only a question for people who immigrated or are on exile but a question everyone needs to ask. The threads from the canvases in my paintings were exhibited along the side of the carpets with a branch. Viewers were invited to pick a thread and ask the question for themselves "Where is home?" and tie the thread onto the branch. The branch became a prayer stick for Journey Home and was offered to the virgin woods where I live. |