Mary Oliver 

 

"The Thread That Holds" is the body of work that explores the healing qualities of wisteria vine, her visual and tactile qualities and her natural gifts. I address plants as communicators that come directly from the earth, highlighting their sacred geometry and energetic frequency. I am greatly inspired by wisteria and her ability to regenerate and thrive in the non-native environments. By honoring the moments when wisteria's healing ability comes in reciprocity with my body, I am allowing a gentile learning, regeneration and opening of a portal for an integration and joy. 
 

I am fascinated with wisteria as I observe it growing for several years in my backyard. Native to China and Japan, it has gentile purple flowers with the sweet smell that bloom in clusters in early spring. After a graceful purple blossoming, the vine manifests a powerful and assertive growth rapidly winding and adjusting around every object she finds. In my garden, wisteria's roots broke through the pot and spread vastly through the soil growing through several backyards, providing the shade and respite. 

 

Building upon the physical and spiritual qualities of wisteria, I take it further to the process of three-dimensional weaving playing with sculptural qualities of paper and integrating various weaving techniques. I sculpt the paper using water and hand-touch when I spin it into a yarn. This process has a healing quality as I reverse the processed generic paper into an organic yarn with an imprint of hand touch reminiscent of its natural origin. 

 

 The series of these hand-woven sculptures are produced from the hand-spun, dyed and woven paper yarn combined with natural materials such as sisal and flax yarn. They take an abstract and surreal form of flowers, vines and wisteria foliage. These sculptures invite to immerse in the powerful world of wisteria expressing its transcendent beauty, its vital powerful movement and the capacity to thrive as a migrant plant in the adapted environment. 

​