Tapestry

Painted on an unstretched roll of Saguran (approximately twenty feet in length), which was then washed, wrung, and dried. The fabric was unfolded to only about six feet, keeping the wrinkles and creases, allowing layers to overlap, as well as create crests and troughs on both the surface and edges of the final work. This entire process was all intentional to illustrate that the journey of life is never a linear movement (that is why it is not a stretched canvas), sometimes we go back and repeat history (hence the overlapping folds and creases), there are triumphs and defeats (evidenced by the ebb and flow on the fabric), and that through it all, we have the faithful and constant individuals who stand with us all the way (crimson running from one end to another).

Painted on Saguran (raffia) fabric. Unlike the traditional canvas and other linen, Saguran is handwoven in the Philippines, from the fibers of young leaf sheaths of the Buri palm. The varying widths and thickness of each strand, the knots in random spots, and the loose open weave, lend to its coarse surface and rich dimensional depth.