The 10 paintings in “Au Fil de la Parole” (“Threads of Thoughts”) tell a story, revealing the passage of time, history and dealing with the female image, women’s position, contribution and identity. Sometimes it pertains to women of African ancestry and other times to women in general.
The work makes direct references to these struggles. It also develops into the narrative, creating stories from a modern “teller”.
Different materials are used (beads, threads, fabric, shells…): I am interested in the provenance acquired by materials in their original form and by the history they retain. Patterns, traditional symbols, textiles… act as a trigger for emotive response and add a tactile touch. They are painted “statements”. Issues become veiled under these marks, waiting for the viewer to lift each layer. Also mediums like embroidery and beading contain their own patriarchal history (considered as craft not art).
Some elements are traveled over by the tension of the needlework. It creates a moving space and a rhythm is born from these signs. The rows of threads and beads serve as transition and connection between the stories. The thread and beads become writings, bead after bead and stitch after stitch, giving the canvas the power of a language stretched between the limits of the imaginary and the history.