‘Garden Gifts’ is a series of mini artworks Wild Dot co-founder Shirin made from material in the studio garden as part of Maya Gallery’s Open Call “Small Matter”. Every part of each piece – paper, paints, frame – is made from plants taken care of, harvested from, and finally crafted into these pieces.
Making the artworks small is key, since material used takes time to grow. It also ensures that the harvesting of material from the garden is done so sustainably, in a way that allows the plant to regenerate for future use. She hopes that this self-sufficient way of practicing art can be used to raise questions about our dependence on nature as artists, and consider how the idea of working small, within natural environmental limits, may be translated into other aspects of our lives.
Material:
Paper made with bark of Mulberry (Morus alba).
Watercolour paints made with foraged earth pigments.
Cotton twine dyed with Annatto (Bixa orellana) dye.
Frame made with palm branches.
