Sculpture: Walking Stick for the Mind
Walking Stick for the Mind, a variety of different woods including painted bamboo, burned wood patterns, hand twisted textile rag roping of many colors, white river stones, tumbled glass from recycled bottles, mirrors, 2019
I was walking downward in the foothills of the Himalayas with my daughter. As I descended the well travelled, narrow path, the pebbles and dried, loose dirt made me feel unstable. I asked for a branch of a tree, any tree, to help me walk down. Eventually, we found one. I planted it on the ground and took a step. The stick gave me support and balance that provided me with confidence. The branch, a walking stick, offered me all I needed to enjoy this walk through a beautiful area of the world. Without it I would have focused on the path and looked down instead of appreciating where I was.
As I was walking I began to think about our minds needing a walking stick as we face decisions or navigate uncharted emotional territory. How nice to have a walking stick at these times to provide, balance, support, and confidence in making choices. This metaphysical underpinning enables us to enjoy our surroundings, our family, and our friends, instead of passing through life missing the view. These rods have been made to celebrate the Indian culture through material and design.
The walking sticks are presented in threes and multiples of three. They represent, youth, middle age, and elder adults. All three stages are represented by size. They provide balance as the need arises for making choices relevant to the phase or moment in one's life. The mirrors reflect each one of us and represent the mind. The stick is placed against the mirror to support our thoughts.
'My Circus, My Monkeys,' Pepper House, Kochi, India, 2019
My Circus, My Monkeys created and organized by Wolf. The show brought together a community of artist, chefs, craftspeople, and performers to orchestrate an experience that interweaves generational arts and contemporary practices creating a certain balance.
My Circus My Monkeys is a show inspired by the magical spirit of a Circus with a community coming together and taking responsibility to create balance and stability for generational arts, crafts, and oral traditions in India. Circus is more than a place; it is a state of mind, where we all meet on equal ground. It doesn't matter what language you speak, how much you earn, if you are old or young – meeting in the circus is an invitation to explore the freedom of playful creation, together. In this experimental metaphor of life, through circus we can feel, recognize, and share a playful creative, community.