Reminiscence

Tehya Bele  
Bachelor of Industrial Design | Griffith University 

“Home is interwoven between memory and place.” 

MATERIALS: Sugar cane grass + Lomandra + Pandanas leaf + Banksia

Artist Statement

My living belonging is the convergence of memory and place, weaving together the importance of place and memory in my perception of home. Independently each element speaks for itself. The Banksia branch, comments on place and its formative nature in a person’s ideology of home.

The woven aspect/s of this piece are the physical representation of a memory. Specifically, a fond childhood memory of playing in the grass with loved ones, a memory filled with child-like whimsy and creativity. The movement of the dried cane leaves emulates the feeling of running one’s hands through the grass, entirely present in place. As a collective work each piece interacts with one and other, almost playing together, talking to each other, as their forms intertwine encouraging and supporting each other. As we did in the grass. Together, these aspects intertwine to communicate a single representation of home. 

Synopsis 

My living belonging is the convergence of memory and place, woven together to represent my perception of home. Independently each element speaks for itself, telling an intricate story of home in my interpretation. The Banksia branch, comments on place and its formative nature in a person’s ideology of home. Nature is my co-author in the creation of this piece. It acts as the foundation for the shape of the living belonging, informing the form it takes. The banksia branch holds specific importance, being a personal marker of place. Collected from a fallen tree in the bush in Bogangar (Bunjalung country), where I was living at the time. The woven aspect/s of the piece are the physical representation of a memory. Specifically, a fond childhood memory of playing in the grass with loved ones, a memory filled with child-like whimsy and creativity. It is woven from three different types of material, Lomandra sourced from Griffith University (Yugambeh country), naturally dyed Pandanus sourced from a first nations artist, and sugar cane leaves sourced from a farm near where I grew up (Bunjalung country). The movement of the dried cane leaves emulates the feeling of running one’s hands through the grass, entirely present in place. Together, these aspects intertwine to communicate a single representation of home.