#barkcloth

Pohākea (The Bursting Forth of Light).

Natural plant dyes and ochre earth pigment on kapa (barkcloth). 21.5 inches H x 40.5 inches W. 2025.

Mele O Nā Kaukani Wai (Song of a Thousand Waters).

one of my friends arranged for us to attend a small showing of the Bark//Please exhibition held at the Backroom SCAM (Studio for Creative Arts in Midrand) and we had an inspirational afternoon. what I expected to be an impersonal hour or so at an underwhelming typical gallery turned out to be something quite different. One of the big reasons for this is the Studio is a backroom that has been converted into a gallery and studio space - I wasn't sure I'd come to the right place when I stood outside what appeared to be someone's house in a residential suburb.

we had made an appointment to view the art which was a concession to the space's capacity limitations that has been turned into a strength. it felt intimate to be guided through in a story in a little group. Lesiba Mabitsela, the gallery owner, presented a lot of information about the barkcloth exhibit and our handful had an interesting discussion touching on fashion, geopolitics, and history for about an hour.

after the appointed hour of barkcloth appreciation, my friend and I sat in Lesiba's backyard and chatted his ears off. We made our way into his storage and work space to get a private view of upcoming projects and made him promise to invite us back whenever the gallery has more events. It felt like making a very special memory to have this kind of experience, particularly in an area that doesn't have a developed commercial art scene.

I linked a bit of information below about the show and its inspirations - the Issey Miyake connection made my heart soft and I told Lesiba about my mother and my shared love of his design philosophy. I put a little section on abaca too because I was reminded of Dolly De Leon wearing Rajo Laurel at the Baftas.