Flora and matrimony
Flora and matrimony is the outcome of a month-long residency at Made in Sat artist residency in Marin, Romania. It originates at the intersection of ecological heritage and cultural matrimony. Matrimony here is redefined as something that is passed down through the maternal line. The textile piece is weaved and embroidered with hemp that was dyed naturally with locally-sourced plants. Hemp is a fiber that has been used for centuries in Romania before imported thread came along, but also a sustainable crop that sequestrates carbon and does not require pesticides or herbicides. The hemp I weaved with gets lost under the cotton threads of the warp just like hemp is barely seen anymore in contemporary textile art. I chose the traditional Romanian embroidery motifs from books and from the Made in Sat textile collection. This collection is put together by Marina Toma and her mother Maria Fitiu and it started with the dowry that Marina’s grandmother and great-granddaughter passed on to her.
Photographs by Patricia Marina Toma
The plants of the landscape were also pressed and mounted on herbarium paper in a workshop I hosted in the forest. Alongside the weaving and the specimens, I installed bioplastic cut-outs on an old spinning wheel. The bioplastics are dyed with the same plants as the hemp threads and are in the shapes of women and plants. This project was nurtured by all the relationships I got to experience with women I met and who shared their knowledge of plants and textiles so generously. The project received the financial support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
Photographs by Patricia Marina Toma