April 28 2020
Lockdown has caused so much family separation, and today - my daughters birthday, her sister and I accidentally met her in the supermarket. The absolute joy and acute energy that passed between these two meeting unexpectedly will stay with me as a positive memory.
Soul Sisters. I was thinking about refugees when I made these.
I found the wood among the firewood and was attracted to the torn limbs. The wood is Macrocarpa, branches from an old established tree, still standing. Storms broke the branches off and they lay discarded for some time, muddy and weathered, with the bark peeling off. The branches had been gathered up with other fallen branches, and eventually cut up for firewood. Even though the branches were from the same tree, they were from different branches. As I weighed the cut wood pieces in my hands, they felt solid. Too good to burn!
I sanded the bases evenly, so they would stand on end, and the wood is beautiful and strong. I peeled the outer layers of bark off and the colour of the wood is beautiful. The heads I made fitted snugly into the torn elbow of the branches, and the torn pieces reminded me of wings.
As I worked with these pieces the story of the wood reminded me of refugees, torn from their home countries by the storms of war and genocide. Separated, weathered, discarded and rejected, and eventually stripped of everything, cut down to size and redefined culturally, spiritually and emotionally. Yet at heart there is an energy, strength born from hardship, there is comfort, protection and always the hope of peace.
I wish you good energy, strength and peace as we navigate the storms of our times in lock down.
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