Sidney BC with Articulation Textile Group
Title: Open to Possibilities
Size: 22”x17”x4"
Materials: cotton, silk chiffon
Techniques: silk screening with thickened dyes, hand embroidery
What does it take to leave behind everything you know and
move to a new country? A certain measure of positivity, faith, and confidence;
a belief that you can improve your life; a dash of desperation. The knowledge
that others travel with you helps. All of these are reflected in this abstract
piece in red and black (traditional
Ukrainian embroidery colours) that evokes the symbolism of the open wreath: an openness
to the possibilities of love, happiness, children, and all the blessings that
Mother Earth provides. Interlocking circles over interlocking circles mimic the
nature of community, that spider web of support that homesteaders counted on.
Because of the
sheer numbers of Ukrainian immigrants – 180,000 between 1891-1914 – and the way
they settled into communities together, they maintained many elements of their
culture (language, customs, traditions) and established families helped new
immigrants. Together, they built civic community, establishing churches,
bilingual schools, libraries, and newspapers and entering politics, taking full
advantage of all the possibilities provided by the blessings of Mother Earth.
Full
Detail
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