I wanted to share a piece I'm currently working on. I was researching African textiles when I happened upon the history of the Ankara print. It's a fascinating story with Indonesian roots, Dutch capitalism and West African creativity. Eventually this led me to the history of the Kuba cloth (also a fascinating history).
In addition to researching African textiles, I've been exploring a number of traditional Japanese crafts such as washi paper making and the objects that incorporate it. Much of this research has informed a number of my recent works.
'Kuboji' is a bit of a cultural remix - combining graphical elements often appearing in Kuba textiles with the wood and washi aesthetic of the Japanese shoji screens. Initially, I wanted to design a room divider using this approach but decided on a light object as a start.
Kuboji is constructed out of bass wood and washi paper. India ink has been applied to the surface of the wood to give it its dark colour. Different types of washi paper have been applied and layered to the back of the piece to create the varied colours and texture. This is a work in progress. I'd love to hear your thoughts.