GRACIA Antigua

The idea was to learn about the place through the art and the artists, especially the women. I was amazed by the local Grita exhibition of Regina Jose Galindo, a feminist activist who was characterized by never compromising her values. Along with the violent volcanoes around the city, Fuego's calm eruptions during the days, and the variety of crafts among the women, I was at home.

I was introduced to dyeing with local plants on Guatemalan cotton, and later also to weaving in the Antiguan style.

The choice of these media was partly deliberate and partly accidental. In the process, I realized that these mediums forced me to slow down and take the necessary time. With painting and drawing it is both tempting and easy to speed up the process, but not with weaving and dyeing, and I experienced how the slowness integrated itself into me. This is how artistic work progresses; more femininity, but also much more time and subtle softness.